William sat in the chair confused. He felt as though Thaddeus was calling his bluff, and in doing so, he wondered if Thaddeus wanted to perish, or perhaps, it was a game of manipulation. Now knowing that Thaddeus knew what they planned to do discouraged him. Maybe the warning was as simple as this, if you come for me, my grandson will come for you.

He nodded and surmised that was the message Thaddeus intended to deliver. He felt disorientated, and hopeless. He worried about Marie and wondered if she was okay. He didn't know how to find her, or where her room was. They had met only when she chose to meet. William couldn't remember seeing anyone else's face until a few nights ago, but even still, his fellow cultists walked among him concealed by their hooded robes.

William wobbled and felt a sudden whack against the back of his skull. Air rushed past him as he fell to the floor, and lay motionless; slipping into unconsciousness. He opened his eyes as far as he could and saw the door which Thaddeus passed through open. The leader of the cult returned, and said, "Theordore, is Marie already there?" Theodore nodded, "very well, good. Take William and we will repurpose them tomorrow morning."

Theodore had moved the two of them into the basement of the manor. It reeked of mold, and the floor was often wet, as the basement wasn't waterproofed. The walls appeared to be made of stones plastered together, and signs of age were present. Insects often traversed between the cracks in the wall, and cobwebs were plentiful.

William and Marie hung by their wrists, attached to hook-screws screwed into a floor beam. As his senses returned, he felt a throbbing pain in his arms. Looking up, he saw that his hands were bound. Glancing to his left, Marie was whimpering, and tears had already fallen down her cheek. Her head tilted to one side as she pulled her shackles.

William whispered, "Marie." Marie's head lifted.

She said, "why won't this end?"

William whispered, "I know how to get out of these, but keep quiet. I think I know how to trick these people. Theodore is going to come back, right?"

Marie nodded.

William continued, "stay as you are, but watch." William grabbed the chain and wound it around the hook. He walked in a counterclockwise circle until the might of the hook was too much. The hook-screw didn't turn as he had hoped. Despite this, he grabbed the chains and twisted them harder.

Marie said, "it—it budged. A little bit." William smiled as he turned the hook screw, and it loosened enough for him to unscrew the hook. William leaned against the wall and examined his heavy iron shackles. Footsteps emerged above them, and at once, the basement door opened.

William returned to his hanging spot and screwed the hook-screw in slightly. Theodore descended the stairs and brought with him a metal tray. The knives on top of it clattered against it with each step he took.

Once he had reached the bottom, Theodore flicked on the lights, revealing a morbid workshop marred by blood. Wooden and metal tables, long and wide enough to fit a single body were stained red. The table closest to Theodore was the bloodiest, and on top of it was a dingy old bible. Beneath the table was a drain blocked by pieces of human fat. The cobble-stone floor was slick with blood and remains.

William shuttered as he glanced at it and forced himself to look away.

Theodore grabbed a scalpel and approached Marie. He said, "I expected more from you Marie. We took you in, gave you food and shelter, and this is your thank you?"

Marie's jaw began to clatter as her eyes opened wide. Theodore drew closer and pushed her chin to the left and up. He said, "let me get a clean swipe in and it'll be over in less than a minute."

William said, "if you heard anything, you'd know it was my fault. I made the plan."

Theodore replied, "doesn't matter," he pressed the scalpel against her neck, "the end is just the same—"

William thought of a lie and shouted, "your religion dictates that men must die first! I read your bible!"

Theodore pulled the scalpel away from Marie's neck, and tried to remember if that much was true. He couldn't.

William took advantage of the moment and said, "you want to go to the Dark Well with Syn, right? Well, you must do what the Synclaires wrote out. Those are the rules of the religion your family made. Men must go first, as a sign of respect towards your ancestors."

Theodore stepped away from Marie and turned around. He glanced at the bible sitting on the table and approached it. William quietly removed the screw hook and faced it inward. He tightened the chain silently and wrangled Theodore by the neck. As William pulled at the chains, the screw of the hook-screw pierced Theodore's throat, and became lodged near the bottom of his esophagus. William released Theodore and watched as he stumbled around, until ultimately, he yanked the screw-hook from his throat.

In doing so, the threads of the hook, and the hook itself, did far more damage. Bits of flesh sprang from his neck and skittered across the ground.

Theodore dropped to his stomach and there he would remain. William searched the pockets of Theodore's pants and found the keys which would free them. He undid his own cuffs, and then Marie's. Together they climbed out of the basement and found themselves at the southeastern part of the manor — the chapel was off in the distance.

William said, "where would the fuel be?"

Marie said, "if we go through with this, everyone will die. Thaddeus is the only person who knows the antidote. William, think about this—"

"We're already dead Marie! I just took out his grandson! You think he's just going to let us live after killing Theodore?"

Marie nodded and said, "okay, there's a small shed by the docks. It's easy to miss because of the trees, but there's at least fifteen gallons of gasoline in there. Five three-gallon jugs." Marie led them to the dock, and into the shed. She grabbed a box of matches from a shelf and one jug of gas for each hand. William did the same. They left the shed and scurried to the chapel.

They managed to reach the doors of the chapel unnoticed, and now, as they stood before it, they knew what they had to do. William began to splash the gasoline onto the windows, wall, and even the beautiful red flowers which bloomed at the base of the chapel. Marie walked in the opposite direction doing the same. William studied the doors, and noticed they were the kind of handles ideal for sliding a sturdy stick or branch through to keep Thaddeus trapped inside.

He found a few girthy branches by the chapel wall and slid them through the handles.

Once every door had been barred shut, and the chapel reeked of gasoline, William met with Marie at the front door of the chapel.

He said, "I will go in there and ask for an antidote. Please don't start this fire while I am in there."

Marie nodded.

William removed the branch which barred the chapel shut. It was dark inside, and not a candle was lit. The windows seemed dark now, and the pews of the chapel reflected what little light could shine through. He searched the darkness and found Thaddeus lying at the feet of Syn, curled up like an infant sleeping beside its mother.

Thaddeus whispered, "I can smell it on you. Light the match! Click the lighter! Set me ablaze!"

William said, "no, tell me what the antidote to this poison is, or how to cure it!"

Thaddeus chuckled, "did you not notice a fifth gas can was missing? It's here! Here!" Thaddeus removed a gas can from under the throne of Syn and poured it upon himself. Thaddeus continued, "send me to the Dark Well! Do it! Do it!"

William stepped back, for Thaddeus reached into his pocket and withdrew a single lighter. He said, "can you run faster than gasoline can ignite? William?! Can you!?"

Holding a lighter, and walking to William, Thaddeus continued, "you've bathed the outside of this holy place with gasoline. All of it! Look around yourself and ask who bathed the inside?" Thaddeus smiled, and then continued, "now we're in stalemate. Aren't we?"

William looked at the pews and floor. They were wet and a shallow pool of gasoline reflected the soft rays of the moon. A small puddle connected him with the mad man.

Thaddeus continued, "since you're here right now, then that means you eliminated the only heir to this church. We have lived in peace for centuries and kept the eyes of the world shut to our existence. You do not understand! You do not care! You do not listen or hear the voice of Syn!"

William knew that the antidote had to be somewhere, and there had to be enough to save everyone. He said, "please, just let us go. Let us have the antidote so we can leave."

Thaddeus chuckled, "the key ingredient to that antidote is something called Gasper Root. For centuries we have planted it around the circumference of this chapel because it has such powerful healing properties, and you drenched it all with gasoline. We're all doomed. The roots only grow two inches deep, and from it blooms red flowers,"

Thaddeus' brows sunk as his mouth curled in disgust. He said, "and you, you, you drenched them with gasoline! You fool! I know Marie is out there with you. Look, have her look!"

Marie examined the outside of the chapel and saw the flowers which Thaddeus mentioned. Her face sank as she looked at William and nodded her head.

Thaddeus continued, "deers, rabbits, herbivores, they love them, and they ate it into extinction. The only place Gasper Root grows is at this chapel. Do you understand what you've done? There isn't any more Gasper Root anywhere else in Alabama."

Thaddeus hissed, "we're already dead. Once Gasper Root has been boiled, and the foam has been scraped off, it becomes a fungus. That fungus is resistant to stomach acid and thrives in the stomach and then gets into your blood stream! Raw Gasper Root inhibits the fungus' growth, so, there is no cure. That fungus will grow and grow, even after you're dead."

Marie knew that Thaddeus was hopeless, and this made him dangerous. She said, "William, it's fine. We must leave."

Thaddeus shrieked and struck the lighter. A spark spread to his fingers, and then up his shirt. He smiled as he became engulfed in flames. William sprinted for the chapel door as heat began to lick at his back. Flames roared past him as he sprang through the chapel doorway and landed in the damp swamp grass.

In less than a minute, the entire chapel was ablaze. William scooted away from the chapel and turned his focus toward the manor. A cultist brought them each a cup of Syn's Blessing, if only to delay the inevitable. More cultists emerged from the manor, and they knew this was the end. Together they all drank what was left of Syn's Blessing.

Then all together, they said, "we thank you for ending this nightmare."

Many returned to the manor and awaited their death, while others watched the chapel burn. William and Marie scooted away from the intense heat and sat side by side. They drank their share of Syn's Blessing.

They watched the chapel burn until it was at long last reduced to red embers and ash. The morning sun had started to rise, and both of them were starting to feel the effects of Gasper Root poisoning. They refused to go inside, as they knew the others were likely about to perish or already did. Together, they arose and walked to the front of the house.

Someone lay on their stomach, already felled to the poison. William blinked and swallowed the knot in his throat. He extended his hand for Marie's and stared at the open swampy forest.

He said, "here, let's walk." Marie took him by the hand as he continued, "so, do you believe in heaven?" They walked through the bogs and passed sheets of moss dangling from trees. The air was thick and humid.

Marie nodded as she surveyed the swamp they were in.

William said, "I do too. I can't wait to see my son and daughter again. I'd like to think we can celebrate their birthdays in heaven, you know. Have birthday parties where we could hang out with dinosaurs, or be mermaids, or whatever. I want to kiss and hold my wife again."

Marie said, "God I miss my brother. He's been gone for three years, and he loved hamburgers. I called him burger boy, and" Marie coughed blood into her hand and then continued, "and, and, he wasn't big. He just loved that kind of food. A real American."

As they passed through the trees, and the manor faded in the distance, William continued the conversation, "my wife always wanted to go to Bora Bora, so I am hoping that in heaven we can do that. It would be so amazing to go there, and not worry about anything."

Marie coughed once more, and said, "I'd sw—sw—swim to the bottom of the ocean, just because." They walked deeper into the swamp; the sun became warm.

Marie said, "I miss my dad. My mom. I would li—li—like to have dinner with them again. Soon I shall, I suppose." Marie slumped to one side and pulled at William's arm. She pleaded, "please, please, don't stop me from waking up from this nightmare."

William sat beside her and cradled her head into his lap. He brushed her hair behind her ears as she began to gurgle blood. He ignored it and whispered, "it's okay Marie. Return to your family. Go. Go with them." Marie's chest sank and failed to rise again. Her head fell limp as her arms draped to her side.

William remained still and closed his eyes. The urge to cough overtook him, and blood splattered into his hand. Because the world started to spin and tilt, he laid down, until eventually, he too became paralyzed and succumbed to Gasper Root poisoning. 

https://youtu.be/qaF6jtg1mGY