A/N: TW: all the normal ones and all the stuff about Gabriel which is graphic because this chapter legit starts with a torture scene

Monday

"I'm sorry!" Gabriel cried, "I'm sorry father! Please! I won't do it again! I know I disobeyed!"

"You wanted to touch yourself, didn't you?"

"I know, it was wrong," Gabriel sobbed, "A sin."

"You should be disowned. You should leave. But not yet. Not you, my son."

The whip cracked against Gabriel's back. Tears rolled down his cheeks. "Please not again!"

Gabriel's father said, "Then start reciting."

The whip cracked again.

Gabriel shouted, "One! Thou shalt have no other Gods before me!"

The whip cracked harder against his, back.

"Two! Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image!"

Tears rolled harder down his face. The whipping continued.

"Three! Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord thy God in vain!"

Gabriel's father said, "Keep going. Seven more to go," and cracked the whip against his son's back again.

"Four! Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy!"

Crack.

"Five! Honor thy father and thy mother!"

The whip struck down harder than ever against Gabriel's back. His father said, "Think about that one, my son."

"Six! Thou shalt not kill unless in the name of thy Lord!"

That was the only one that was edited. That was not the original verse. It was changed to make people not question what was going on inside the cult. If you open any Bible in the church, that is what is says.

That's what Gabriel always thought it said. He had no time to think. The whip cracked against his back again.

"Seven! Thou shalt not commit adultery!"

Crack.

"Eight! Thou shalt not steal!"

Crack.

"Nine! Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor!"

Crack.

"Ten! Thou shalt not covet!"

The whipping stopped. Gabriel fell on his chest. Blood poured down on to the floor. His father left him to bleed on the floor.

"Say your prayers, Gabriel," his father said as he slammed the door shut.

Gabriel cried on the floor for hours. He felt so alone.

"Lord, I know my father is using your name for money. I know his whole operation is unethical and puts your name in vain. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I know I'm a disobedient rat, but I beg of you to let me in the gates when I come. I'm scared to die. I don't want to go to Hell. I've tried to do good. I'm just not good enough for my father, so I'm not good enough for you. I feel impure. All my money for college was made in your name and nobody else realizes it. Why can't you just go ahead and kill me so I can be with the others? Strike me down! Send me an angel to make me a pillar of salt! This isn't right! I'm hopeless! I'm a liar who told them the end is coming when I know it's not! They'll all die for nothing! I want to be as hopeless as the others!"

Gabriel then passed out.

Azira was walking out by the church, because it was a wonderful day after all. He thought such a wonderful day should have a clean church to match. He cleaned up trash on the outside of it. At the back he noticed a window very close to the ground. He looked in it and saw Gabriel lying on the floor.

There was two things he knew in this moment. One, that he wasn't supposed to see this. Two, that was Gabriel and he seemed dead. People covered in blood usually are dead, especially if they aren't moving.

Azira quickly ran away. He went down into the woods and cried. The image was permanently etched into his mind like a carving in stone.

"Gabriel! Oh Gabriel! He's dead!"

He wanted to run and hide. That was foolish though. What he should do was tell someone. He was afraid though. He knew his place in the world. It was not his place to say anything. Someone who was right would find his body.

That night Azira battled with regret. He was regretting cleaning the church. Even more he was regretting not going with Anthony. His mind could have been spared. Maybe Anthony could have been some kind of blessing.

He believed it was best he stayed though. He had to be strong for Gabriel.

Tuesday

"I hope Azira is alright," Anthony sighed, "I'm worried about him.

Beezy said, "I'm not."

"Why?"

"I don't worry about things. I don't need that kind of stress. Why worry about something I can't deal with at the moment?"

Anthony mumbled, "Stupid philosophy."

Beezy asked, "Do you have any philosophy you'd be keen on sharing?"

"Nope. Haven't had one since I left New Beginnings."

"That's fair. I won't judge you for that."

Anthony asked, "Can we still save Azira?"

"I don't know. I think it's too much for us."

"We could try," Anthony sighed.

"We could also get arrested. -Oh don't cry."

Tears dripped down Anthony's cheeks. He sadly said, "I'm not crying."

"No, no, shh, you are. It's fine. Know what, go ahead and cry."

Anthony wiped tears off his cheeks. "N-no. I shouldn't."

Beezy said, "You need to cry. Go on. You're wrapping yourself up in the mind set again. Don't do that."

Anthony hugged Beezy and sobbed.

»»-----♡-----««

That night Gabriel did not show up for Bible Discussion and Study Meeting. Gabriel's father told everyone that his son was sick, but not to worry. Azira knew the truth though. Gabriel was dead.

He still didn't say anything. It wasn't his place.

The meeting went on as normal.

Wednesday

Gabriel had a difficult time standing up straight. With every movement the wounds on his back started bleeding again. It was incredibly painful. It was a pain he'd have to push aside. He had chores.

There was a large farm on the church property. The whole community pitched in to keep it healthy. Gabriel fed the horses.

Azira happened to be there too. He looked like he was seeing a ghost.

"Gabriel- oh you've been resurrected so you can lead us to Heaven!"

Gabriel asked, "What are you talking about Azira?"

Azira said, "I was cleaning around the church and I saw you beaten and bloodied through a tiny window. You were dead. Now you're alive. That's wonderful."

Azira looked up at Gabriel with hope.

Gabriel returned that hopefulness with a slap across the face. "Stupid boy, you weren't supposed to see that! I wasn't dead!"

Azira fell back into a pile of hay. The dried grass scraped his hands and elbows. The next thing he knew Gabriel was throwing punches and kicking Azira.

By the end of it all they were both laying on the hay. Both of them were bloody. Azira hadn't swung a fist. He just wasn't that kind of person.

"Gabriel..." Azira sighed, "Your back is bleeding."

Gabriel responded, "You're bleeding all over. I'm going to Hell."

Azira push himself up, but he couldn't. His chest hurt too badly.

"Gabriel, we're all forgiven. Once we get up there you'll be released from all the sins you're feeling. That wasn't you right there. Demons got a hold of you. We can go back to the church and fix it."

Gabriel said, "Azira I have to tell you something. It's all a lie. The whole plan, the rules, the life. It's a lie. It's about money. It's about my father having control. He's a control freak just like my grandpa, and my great grandpa. We can get out of here. You won't have to die yet."

Azira squinted his eyes closed as he sat up. "I- ow- believe there's still demons in you, Gabriel. In the name of the Lord I command them to be gone! -ow- once Gabriel returns I need him to get me help. I believe I've broke a rib."

Azira did in fact break a rib. Gabriel carried him all the way to the church. Azira's wounds were treated, and so was Gabriel's back. All of it was blamed on demons.

The two were doused with holy water.

That night, Gabriel's father whipped him again. He wasn't alone though. Azira was right beside him.

"It will teach you a lesson not to snoop!" Gabriel's father shouted.

Azira cried, "I wasn't snooping! I was cleaning!"

The whip cracked against Azira's back.

"-And son, this will teach you to not make someone already falling to sin more of a sinner!"

The whip cracked against Gabriel's back. Blood splattered everywhere.

"And Azira, we know you've thought in a homosexual nature. Perhaps this will keep you from acting upon it!"

The whip cracked against Azira's back again. Blood spilt from his mouth. He was out of breath. He was hardly hanging on.

"Help me..." were the final words he said before everything went black.