Thaddeus said, "now, give me a moment to teach the way of the church. If you appease Syn, you will live for eternity with him in the Dark Well. We have ten commandments. We expect them to be followed. To break any of them is punishable by death. One: only the flesh of man is to be consumed. Two: do not steal from fellow members. Three: do not murder your fellow members. Four: do not engage in heresy. Five: do not deny our faith. Six: do not speak to nonmembers. Seven: do not deceive fellow members. Eight: celibacy is expected from all males. The only exception is the Voice of Syn. Nine: the blessing of Syn must never be rejected. Ten: Syn weaves the threads of our lives. To question his motives is forbidden. Do you understand?"

William looked at Thaddeus, who stood proud and gleefully. William said, "I do," he figured out what the purpose of this cult was. As he looked around, he noticed that all of the women were young, slender, and would be considered to be quite attractive, and yet, the men were muscular. Strong. Virile. William knew that he is here only for his labor, while the women serve a more...humiliating function. He thought of the Dark Well and used the topic to drive Thaddeus away from the commandments.

William said, "you keep mentioning the Dark Well, but I don't know what that is."

Thaddeus said, "it's an endless paradise where you and Syn can rest together. You can bask in his silence, absorb his wisdom, and have your fantasies and desires fulfilled. The Dark Well is where we find and build our paradise in the company of Syn. There you will find happiness and bliss."

William nodded and said, "right. Anyway, I am absolutely beat right now. I need sleep."

Thaddeus nodded as he said, "of course you do. Then, let's cheer before you rest."

William felt good until right before bed. The pain in his stomach returned, and he wondered where his family was. He couldn't tell if it was hunger that was causing the pain in his stomach, or the stressful situation. Either way, he woke up early in the morning. The world wobbled once more, and he felt vomit clawing at the back of his throat.

He looked forward, and a sudden idea came to him. He thought, they're poisoning me and giving me an antidote. He sat up in bed and covered his mouth. Vomit spilled into his hands, and he studied the color of it. Red. Blood. He stood up and felt the world under him slip.

William tried to catch himself as he tumbled to the ground. The ceiling spun, and the sound of footsteps caused his skin to curl and goosebumps to manifest. His throat ran dry as he watched the door open, and Thaddeus pass through the doorway. He leaned over William and seemed to study him for a moment before speaking.

He said, "each day we are required to receive Syn's Blessing twice. Once in the morning, once in the evening, lest we succumb to the evil spirits which set out to destroy us. Rise, William, so that we may drink and break bread as we discuss your obligations to the church."

William covered his face and whispered, "you're poisoning me and giving me an antidote. How are you poisoning me?"

Thaddeus knelt beside William and whispered, "dear Brother, a spider has bitten you. Its venom will not go away. It multiplies in your blood and makes you sick. You need Syn's blessing to stop it from growing, only then will it shrink. You must receive this blessing two times a day, lest you succumb to the venom. To receive your second blessing, you must first perform your duties for the church. As you can tell, the condition of the manor and chapel has declined significantly. Tomorrow, I will need you to repair a wall, and then you will receive your second blessing" Thaddeus handed William a cup filled with pink liquid. He whispered, "drink and be well, so that you may do work with vigor and strength tomorrow."

William turned his head away from the cup, and said, "if I was bitten by a venomous spider, I need to go to the hospital—"

Thaddeus interrupted, "William, there is no ailment that Syn cannot cure. You've bound yourself to him and now you belong to the church." Thaddeus gazed into William, and his eyes shifted as he looked for resistance.

Thaddeus continued, "William, we saw your wife. She was with your son on the outskirts of the swamp. We have her and your son and your daughter, but you must drink. They are waiting for you William, but you cannot go to them as you are."

William closed his eyes for a few seconds and felt torn between believing what he thought was a lie and accepting the truth — the truth being that his family is dead. His stomach curled as he thought about what's real, and suddenly, the lie became more palpable. He faltered in his resolve and agreed to drink the liquid. Thaddeus pushed the cup to William's lips and tilted it.

Thaddeus said, "there, there, all who join the church resist in the beginning." William drank and laid his head back. Thaddeus continued, "Unfortunately, one key detail I forgot to mention is that we had them two days ago. I learned just this morning that they had escaped and ran into the swamps. Sleep well, as tomorrow, your aid is needed with the repair of our manor. Walls need to be rebuilt, and graves dug. Now sleep."

William looked at the ceiling, and he felt something inside him disconnect, as though the world didn't seem so dark. He smiled as a sense of euphoria washed over him.

He relaxed. Thaddeus told him all he needed to know. His family is dead and has been since he arrived here.

An idea birthed into existence. Burn the place down. All of it. Everyone. Suddenly, he felt good. Euphoria filled every fiber of his being. He smiled.

He whispered to himself, "this is how I felt when I took painkillers. That drink was spiked with pain killers." William smiled, and he knew that what he felt wasn't genuine. He continued, "I'm drugged. Oh, and it feels," he smiled, "good."

William closed his eyes and felt as though he were swimming. 

https://youtu.be/qaF6jtg1mGY