Tw: same ol same ol tws and child abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse.

Saturday

99¢ bowling is on Saturday. Beezy, Anthony, and their parents like to take advantage of this deal. Doug was once a champion bowler. He thought Anthony was pretty good at it too.

Saturdays were also good days for church bonding activities. If you're going to be stuck with these people forever, might as well get friendly with them. A bowling alley like this one is particularly welcoming to the local youth group, especially since most of the staff were once part of the local youth group, but then aged out when they turned eighteen.

Azira was not good at bowling. He perhaps could use some help with his throw. Perhaps he could use some help from the ginger two lanes over.

Perhaps this would be nice if they weren't part of two separate worlds now. Perhaps they'd say something. Perhaps they'd smile at each other.

All they did was glance, then look away.

That was until Azira slipped off to the bathroom. He cried in a stall. "No... No not him. He- he can't be here! No!"

Anthony also walked into the bathroom. "Azira? Are you crying?"

"I'm not Azira and I am not crying."

Anthony sighed, "Do you want me to go away?"

Azira responded, "I do."

"Oh alright. If that's really what you want."

Azira sniffled and sobbed, "I change my mind. Please stay."

Anthony said, "I thought so. Come on out."

Azira unlocked the stall and ran into Anthony's arms. "Anthony, I am such a sinner. I am, I am, I am..."

"No, you're not. Azira, you're so good. You've done everything they've asked you to do."

Azira mumbled, "I'm still not good enough."

"Yes, you are," Anthony whispered.

Azira said, "But I'm talking to you right now. I'm hugging you right now. It's wrong."

Anthony sighed, "You can let go."

Azira looked up and said, "Anthony, if this is wrong... Right now I don't want to be right."

He then smashed his lips against Anthony's. The two only broke apart for air.

"Azira, you kissed me."

"I know," Azira sighed, "You've tainted me. I know how this will go. I'll kiss you over and over again, then I'll go repent. I'll get into Heaven. You'll go to Hell. That seems very star crossed."

"Azira, I think if you just listened to me you'd realize how crazy this all is. It could be me and you. No more worrying. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Azira said, "I want to see my son again."

"I know. What if you get to the end, and it turns out there's nothing after this life?" Anthony asked.

Azira pulled away from the hug and said, "I don't want to think about that. I want to be optimistic."

"I'm optimistic, Azira. I'm optimistic that I can save you."

Azira stomped his foot down and said, "Well perhaps this is a sign, and I'm optimistic that I'll save you."

"A sign?"

"A sign to save you!"

Anthony walked to the door and said, "I don't want to be saved."

Azira nodded and said, "That's unfortunate, sinner, but I won't fight any more. Goodbye, now, Anthony."

Anthony ran back to Azira and pecked him on the lips. "Bye, Azira."

"Bye, dear."

Anthony then walked out of the bathroom. Azira did too shortly after. He walked to Gabriel. "I spoke with the sinner. He didn't do anything with me except try to make me leave this holy group. I refused."

"That's wonderful, Azira. You stood strong against a sinner," Gabriel said as he grabbed his ball. He made a strike.

Next Azira was up. He tried and did everything he was shown, but rolled a gutter ball.

Anthony watched him as that happened. He wanted to adjust Azira's form, show him how to hold a ball, and smile as he actually hits something, but that wouldn't be happening. Anthony held out hope.

"So, what happened between you and Azira in the bathroom?" Beezy asked.

Anthony responded, "We argued and kissed. That's it. I feel bad for him."

Beezy nodded and asked, "Do you think we can save him? Should we go ahead and start on a plan?"

Anthony said, "We'd have to show him that everything will be alright when he's on the outside. Also that everything he's ever believed was wrong... That's going to be hard. Beezy I don't know if we can do this."

Mae looked at Beezy and said, "You're up."

Beezy took their turn. While they were doing so Doug sat down.

"Old friend you see?"

Anthony sighed, "I wish I could save him. They're going to kill themselves. Dad, I love that boy and he's going to die in a few weeks."

"I wish we could do something, but they have been reported to the police so many times, and nothing is ever done. There was an arrest two months ago for plotting genocide, but that was it. I doubt anything will actually happen. Someone will call if they all start dying. Try not to worry about it, kiddo."

After that Anthony tried not to worry about it. He ended up worrying about it more. It tugged at the strings of his heart.

"You can't die, Azira. You just can't die."

Sunday

Gabriel's father led service as normal. It seemed like a normal Sunday. Everything was normal.

The meeting after church was a normal meeting about the end.

It all seemed oddly normal. It was relaxing.

He repented after all that. On his knees he was in the chapel. The stained glass windows made beautiful colors against the pews.

"Please forgive me, for I am a sinner. I feel dirty after my moment with the sinner, Anthony. I cry out for forgiveness. I know what happened was wrong, and I ask that you keep me away from Anthony. I don't need to see him anymore. I don't think I'm strong enough if you want me to save him. If this is a test, I do not believe I am smart enough to pass it. I trust whatever you do though, it will be best. I need you to free me. Thank you. In your name I pray. Amen."

Azira opened his eyes and looked at the colors around him. He felt not so alone in a church of empty. That's what he was trained to believe anyways. It made sense to feel something you've been brainwashed to believe.

"I am free," Azira happily sighed, "So free."

Gabriel was listening to him from under the pews. "Free as a bird attached to a string," he whispered to himself.

What Gabriel did not know, is that he was just as much part of the cult as Azira was. He can't really be blamed for any of this. He didn't know what he was doing was wrong. The poor boy was brainwashed into brainwashing. When Gabriel was about five he learned why homosexual activity was 'wrong' and he sure did believe it. He asked a simple question about why and got a bad answer. The curious five year old was touched in a way that night in a way no five year old should have ever been touched by an adult, especially his father.

When Gabriel was seven he was told he was better than the other kids. He had lies about them whispered in his ears. That's when he started to believe Azira was stupid and embarrassingly fat. He started to believe Beezy was confused about who she was supposed to be. He started to believe Anthony was too smart, which was a temptation from Satan.

Gabriel trusted his father. His father was all he had. He believed his father was always right. Whenever Gabriel did something wrong he trusted his father to do something right.

Most of the time Gabriel was whipped and made to recite Bible verses until he was made correct again. Scars covered his back. It was something unspoken of.

With every crack of the whip Gabriel was taught that he was better than everyone else, needed everyone around him to die so he could truly live, and that he was unworthy of his birth rights.

When he was fourteen he was told the truth about the whole operation, and that it was only there to make money. He still wanted to believe though, which was fine with his father. His father used it to put more pressure on him. Over time everything fell apart in Gabriel's mind and he became the cog in the system that his father wanted him to be.

He forgot who he was.

Some times he wished he remembered who that was. All he'd find was who he was now. A faith while he wasn't sure he believed and a poor, sad boy who was broken and lived off lies about himself.

Nobody could see that boy though.

They all just knew happy Gabriel who gave the best sermons. They knew happy Gabriel who was the best at giving advice.

But they didn't know Gabriel. Gabriel didn't even truly know himself. He wasn't allowed that privilege of self discovery. That was something he had to live with.

It was too much weight on his shoulders. It seemed like he was just beginning to crumble.