Sinister Ego : Dangerous Minds

27. The Absorbing Ceremony

The time for Xerxes's welcoming to the cult arrived when Father unlocked our our cell and shouted joyously at us, clapping his hands and jumping around like a seven year old.

"It is time, it is time! Oh, I can't wait!"

Rin excitedly pounced out of the cell, happy like Father, and me and Xerxes slowly trudged out.

"Now, now," Father scolded. "No need to be so sullen.....Ricky, you know you're special. Even though I would only just absorb you...I wanted to treat you right. That's why you had the whole church here to greet you, along with the music."

I thought back to the first day I got here, thinking I was attending an innocent church service, so confused when I pulled up to the building. And the whole cult was inside, circled around, the powerful drumming shaking the whole place. Father's welcoming to me, my first experience with the cult, the moment I had known I'd made a huge mistake.

"Now it is Xerxes's turn. He will be welcomed just like you were, Ricky. But it will be a little different."

"Different, how?"

"Different, because right after he is welcomed, we'll be having a small ceremony of sorts, and I will absorb you in front of the whole church."

As soon as he said it, Xerxes lunged forward.

"I won't let you do anything to me!" He roared, getting ready to jump on top of Father. Father just stood there, perfectly still, and laughed. Before we knew it, a force had taken hold of Xerxes and bounced him backwards onto the floor. It wasn't the strongest force, but strong enough for Xerxes to know Father wasn't messing around.

Father bent down and hunched over Xerxes.

"You'll soon learn that you don't fuck with me."

Xerxes nodded, eyes wide, completely dumbfounded.

And then we went.

*******

In the worship hall, the entire cult stood up to welcome Xerxes, shouting thanks to him for being what Father needed. In the corner, a drummer drummed, sending that same shock wave through the room.

"Yes!" Father shouted. "Xerxes is here. Our time is here."

The crowd roared even louder.

"I remember when each and every one of you came here," Father said. "All so confused, some angry, some scared, some depressed. Many of you came directly from the streets, so much like your father, you are, cast away by a corrupt society that you are better than. Just as I was by my tribe. And when you came here, you slowly realized you belonged, that you were loved. Forever you have waited for our time of ruling. And now that Alexander and Xerxes are, here, we're ready."

Cheering that made my ears want to bleed.

"Now, I will admit, I have been trying to absorb Ricky for a while, and haven't found a way. But I've been thinking. I'm going to do it in front of each one you here. Maybe then, the charisma and cheerfulness of my own children will help me accomplish this. What do you think?"

Cheering louder than ever.

"Perfect. Alexander and Xerxes, come here."

And we did. We didn't even try to fight it. I didn't know what else to do, and it was clear to me that Xerxes was still astonished from seeing Father's power at work, despite the small amount that it had been.

So we came to Father, and he got up from his throne-like chair.

He led us to a wooden table with a rope resting on it.

Defeated, we let him tie us down.

*****

All Father did was stare at us for a while. His eyes were narrowed, his facial features scrunched in concentration. I admit, I was scared. The only thing going through my mind was, what if it's true? I was just waiting to feel my own life be sucked away, to become a part of someone else.

But I also remembered that even though Father was powerful, he wasn't all-powerful. He didn't know everything. That green liquid, even though it didn't hurt his skin, had obviously fucked him up. He wasn't all-powerful. Maybe he couldn't do it.

The rest of the cult was cheering like madmen, like they were watching a brutal fight, doing exactly what Father wanted them to do.

The same thing went on for a while, for what had to be a very long time. My body was more tense than it had ever been, waiting to react to whatever it was about to have to take. Even if the absorbing didn't work...I was still tied down and unable to move. What if it didn't work, and Father got angry, and just killed us? Or what if Father just suddenly decided we had to be dead to be absorbed, and we could only lay here and be murdered?

Father took in a heavy breathe, and opened his eyes.

"Shut the fuck up!" He turned to the direction of the cult, and they did so. He turned back to Xerxes and I.

"I-It isn't...I d-don't," Father stuttered, trying to find the right words. "I don't know how to do it. With the other gods, they just came to me, I could feel it...But I don't feel it now."

His voice was so eerily calm.

"I really don't fucking know how. Why the fuck isn't it happening? I just want to free myself from this body, and I know this would make that happen. No... Maybe there's another way. There has to be a way. I can't rule like this, I'm not ready yet, there has to be a way."

And as he spoke, I could have sworn that I saw a tear form in his eye.

"There has to be. I can't lose what I've been waiting for my whole life..." His voice was weak and strained.

Out in the sea of cult members, Casey raised his hand.

"I'm sure there is another way. Father, you're so powerful. You don't need these guys. You're already a god, it'll come in time."

His voice was so hopeful and innocent. Father, who had been facing Xerxes and I, took on the most frustrated, angry, purely furious expression I had ever seen in my life. He slowly turned around to face Casey.

"Casey?"

"Yes, Father?"

"Shut the fuck up."

And then Father let out an outrageous scream.

And the ultimate nightmare had finally begun.