The Book of Zion
By D.T and Mr Stepford
2 Darlene 1
As soon as she’d gotten home the first thing she’d done was strip down and shower. Then, wrapped in her familiar white terrycloth robe she’d looked at her reflection and considered chopping her hair short again. What the hell had they done to her to make it grow that fast anyway? She opened the drawer to get the scissors but couldn’t bring herself to do it. Telling herself it would be better to get it cut at a salon she’d resolved to make an appointment. There was no food in the house of course so she’d ordered in from a sandwich delivery place and then called the cleaners to come and pick up the clothes she’d run away in. A part her wanted to throw them away, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
After a somewhat restless night she’d been able to get in to see a doctor. She’d confirmed that Darlene was about six weeks pregnant. Darlene had then left the doctor’s office with a prescription for prenatal vitamins and a small stack of pamphlets and booklets. She’d dropped off the prescription at the pharmacy and went to the coffee shop next store for some chamomile tea and a banana nut muffin to wait while it was filled. After sitting down she started shifting through the booklets. Nutrition, symptoms, fetal development, support groups, and then she’d all but jumped out of her skin when she saw his eyes again. She dropped the pamphlet as though it were toxic. “Zionite Fellowship?” a stranger’s voice said. “Please tell me you’re not thinking of joining those wackjobs.” Darlene looked up and saw a girl setting at the next table her hair was dyed jet black which matched her black lipstick she had on a shirt that sported a picture of jesus riding a dinosaur lying on the table was a magazine entitled Atheist United “I did consider it,” Darlene admitted burying that pamphlet beneath the others, “but then I came to my senses. " Darlene herself was wearing a T-shirt and knit pants that fit better than the stuff she used to wear.
“Well good to hear, they are notorious for preying on women in your condition. It’s a fucking travesty that the doctor office hand that out, I am Kate by the way” she said as she sets down next to her “Darlene” Darlene replied “This group got their fingers into everything health clinic rehab center halfway houses you name it. My master’s thesis is about cults and I have to say this bunch has their shit together...do you know anything about their alleged prophet? " Kate asked
“I was actually a houseguest of his,” Darlene said stirring honey into her tea. “I spent two nights with him and his six wives and fifteen daughters.” She paused feeling a slight pang of remorse for having just taken off wondering if the children had asked about her and what their parents had said.“Get the fuck out! And you escape unlobititized? I would love to interview about it” Kate replied. Darlene wasn’t sure how she felt about that but she didn’t really have anyone else to talk to about it. Maybe this would help give her closure or something. “All right, but only on the condition that you don’t use my real name.”
“I never do, I’ve interviewed many victims. So have you done any research about the prophet past” Kate asked “No, actually, I hadn’t I just know what he and his first wife told me, that he started out as a street preacher.” Darlene said “His mother was in the carnival you know psychic and mentalist stuff. The Prophet just took religious route with his con” Kate said “His father was in a gang that called themselves the adversary’s”
“I didn’t know that,” Darlene said. “Is it really fair to hold what his parents did against him, though? None of us get to choose where we come from.” “No but we do learn from it” Kate replied “The adversary ran Covenant and use the carnival to distribute their drugs across the state the old prophet was daddy right hand man for a time. Now Daddy’s in prison and look who runs Covenant” Darlene found herself recalling Bro, Paul’s lecture on the history of the town, how the Prophet had cleared out the criminals. Of course it was entirely possible that some of them had converted. She frowned in thought, did Covenant have a mayor?“Have you ever been there?” she asked Kate.
“No been trying to get a interview with him the response I get back is always that it will happen when God deems it so. It’s a load of craps I’ve interviewed dozen of these so called Gurus and whether it Jesus or Buddha it all pretty much the same. I know all their trick and they know they can’t put me under their spell so they avoid me” Kate replied “Well, he seemed like a pretty nice guy,” Darlene said trying not to think about how those eyes haunted her at times.
“Don’t let him fool you” Kate said “Junior learned from Daddy mistake look like a crook you get there attention wear a nice suit and talk about God and you can get away with anything” they talked for about an hour Kate talk about the church settlement in testament. Darlene talked very little and no point thought about mentioning how fast her hair grew.
As they left the cafe a blind homeless man approached them he was wearing sunglasses but it only partially covers the scarring around his eyes “a dollar for a joke two dollars to look into your future” he said Darlene didn’t particularly want either one. Nonetheless she pulled five singles from her purse since she realized he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between denominations and put them in his hand. “There you go, sir,” she said and started to step around him.
“Wait my dear” said the man as he moves in front of her “You’ve given me enough for a joke and a fortune for you and your friend” Darlene knew that certain scenes were enhanced when you lose your sight but how would have know that? “Jesus and Devil are having a typing contest when the power goes out ...who win?” “Who” ask Darlene “Well Jesus of course” he said “why ask” Kate " because Jesus Saves” he said as bad as a joke as it was Kate couldn’t help but laugh. “Stop now before you reach the crossroad” he saids to Kate “you may not like the road that is choosen for you” “and you sister” he said to Darlene as he take off his glasses and looks into her eyes “you will be looking down at her because you are already on the mountain” That mountain, why did it keep coming back to that mountain? She had thanked the man and hurried away.