Let the Circle be Unbroken

Buck was at the third house on his list. He walked up the steps and almost turned on his heels when he saw the Ankh spray painted on the door. But he'd been spotted, an anxious face watched from the window while the door opened. He was greeted by a young woman with a gun, people had taken to guns quite quickly in the aftermath. She looked at him steadily while a third person, an older woman, stood behind her. Strings of beads circled the young girl's throat and hung from her wrists. She spoke, "This is our home, we leave only if you prove you are the owner or a relative."


The person who had watched him from the window had walked next to the older woman, a frightened looking woman who looked to be between the ages of the other two. Buck did not want to press the issue, "I'm not a relative, I'm just looking at a list New Hope gave me." The frightened looking woman winced as if she'd been struck at the mention of that name, the older woman laid her hand on her arm in reassurance. Buck saw the clean living room beyond the armed girl, an altar had been assembled in the corner by the new occupants, pictures surrounded candles and bowls of flowers.


Buck stepped back to go, "thank you and if you need anything I'm sure New-," the girl at the door held up her hand. "Your God is strong but he is young, cruel child," Buck swallowed hard but she continued, "but he is not the only God, there are other Gods and Goddesses, some are more cruel but some are much more kind. They have passed into myth but they're as real as your God. They just need to be remembered and spoken to, and be loved."

Buck didn't know what to say, didn't know if he wanted to say anything. Her words had woven a spell of peace over the women, and himself. She looked at him, not unkindly, "We will see the Earth's children again, we'll see children again. What The Gods mend will be made whole for always. Goodbye and Good Luck."

Buck was at a complete loss, these women needed to be saved, they had rejected Christ, he caught himself, no they had rejected the God of the Rapture. Buck tried to calmly say goodbye but rushed to his car and drove several blocks before pulling into a driveway to rest his head on the steering wheel. They were Pagans, or they had embraced Paganism, or hell, they were like everybody else trying find a thread to hold onto. He knew they would welcome Christ, a sick feeling knotted in his stomach as he guessed they would see no relation between Jesus Christ and the God of the Rapture. Buck's hands tightened on the wheel as he thought of the trouble he was having finding a connection between the two as well.