Sheep in Wolf's Clothing: Chapter 2 – Virtue and Pompousness

 Chapter 2 – Virtue and Pompousness

Sinners like this man with the clown mask that I’m following are a rarity to see. The black wires and closed tubes on his back are there so they have to rely on their master for food. There’s also supposed to be a device on their back that instantly kills them if they leave their work area. It’s a wonder that this guy is even alive let alone a group of people like him. Part of me wants to report him while another wants to believe him.

He could be telling me what I want to hear so I can join his group or worse. I’ll just have to wait and see. Despite his deep voice, he sounds honest. I wonder if I used to know him since he said he worked in the mines. I’ve seen dozens of people try to start a revolt or protest in the mines but end up getting arrested and never being heard from again.

As we move through the shadows and hidden alleys of the city, I ask the man, “We never exchanged names. My name is Wyatt. What’s yours?”

“Oh, yes. My name is Terran. It’s nice to meet you, Wyatt.”

He’s polite and gave up his name to me. He has to know that if I told the authorities his name and what he was doing then they would trust me and arrest him. Maybe he is being honest with me. We keep making our way through the alleys until we see a protest happening in the streets. Terran slows his pace as he watches it and tries to listen. Through the cracks in the building that we go through, we see people holding up crosses and pictures of people that I assume to be loved ones as they chant prayers and against the Pious. This crowd is taken out by gas then forced to strip and be whipped in the streets as an example to all.

“Don’t let it bother you, Wyatt,” Terran says as he picks up his pace.

Maybe you should take your own advice. His footsteps sound heavier so maybe he’s mad at hearing and seeing glimpses of what happens almost every other day. On our way to our destination, we make our way underground and to a dark basement with a steel door at the end that has a cross on it. Terran knocks seven times on the door before it opens. Inside is a ruined church with people inside who wear masks and have appearances similar to Terran with very few people who like me. Churches, where I live, look similar to this, however, there are a couple of machines in this church that have fluids, wires, and tubes on them. So, this is how Terran has managed to survive though from the looks of it, they’ll have to share the same machines rather than having their own.

“This is Wyatt, the troublemaker who’s been sabotaging the Pious’ propaganda and plans in the mines.”

“I’m a troublemaker? I’m sure you’ve caused your fair share of trouble too, Terran.”

“It’s good that you’re here, Wyatt,” one of the masked people say. I don’t think I’ll get used to their deep voices.

“I’m here because you guys are against the Pious, and I’m assuming that you have some kind of plan that’s better than what I’ve been doing.”

“Much better.”

“Well, tell me what it is.”

“We’re going to free the sinners like us from the gold mines.”

“We’re going to do what?! What makes you think we can even pull that off?”

“We have a cave that was dug out by the first one of us who managed to dig their way to freedom and an insider in the city. We also have a mystic who tells us that it is God’s will that these sinners should be saved now.”

“Of all the things we can do…”

“What do you think we should do? You know every other option there is doesn’t work.”

“But is this really God’s will?”

“You’ll have to trust us on that.”

“You guys look like you can barely keep yourselves together. Besides, they’ll replace the slaves we take. Do you know how many people bang their head on the golden gate to the city to live in there even as a slave? People walk over each other when that gate opens to make it inside.”

“We trusted in God to deliver us from our slave masters and now we trust in Him when we’re given another purpose. Don’t you trust Him?”

“Tch, I do.”

“Then it’s decided. We head out in two hours.”

“Why two hours?”

“It’s the time we were given by the mystic.”

“Fine.”

For two hours, I keep to myself and repeatedly clean and check my tools. The sinners talk to themselves not about what we’re going to do, but their sins and how to avoid doing them. Keeping away from sin is important, however, it’s not the most important thing to consider right now. I look around and see someone who looks like the mystic they were talking about and he’s a sinner like them, mask and everything. He looks like he’s praying, which is what we’re going to need. I say a couple prayers as the time comes.

We head into a tunnel near the church that has lamps that light the way. There are many footsteps that go along this path so this it’s been used quite often. I then see many tunnels that must’ve been used for their escapes and trips back and forth.

Still unsure of the plan, I quietly ask Terran, “Do we have a plan for the guards?”

“Most are out because of the celebration happening in the golden city. We shouldn’t come across many.”

“But what do we do if they discover us?”

“Run for it. We were told by the mystic to be as quick as possible.”

I think I’m less confident about this plan now. Regardless, the head sinner reminds us where we’re supposed to go, the groups we’re in, and what each group is going to do. I get teamed up with Terran and together we go through the mines and free the slaves we come across. It’s surprisingly empty in here for a place meant to be full of slaves.

Curious about this, I ask Terran, “There aren’t that many slaves this way. Maybe we should head in a different direction?”

“All the slaves secretly were told they were going to escape today if they came to work. Most laughed at the idea, even the moles to the Pious disregarded this news. Since today’s a celebration in the city, the slaves were given an option to take the day off. The ones who doubt us are in the city probably part of the celebration or resting in their cells.”

“Oh, I see.”

I don’t blame the slaves for doubting their escape. Working here is Hell on earth or rather beneath it. Since there aren’t many guards here and our pace is casual, I take some of the gold I find in the mine. Wouldn’t hurt to use it for later. Once we free the last slave on our determined path, the ground starts to shake and the supports of the mine break apart. We rush to the exit only for me to drop my gold before we get to it.

“Why were you carrying gold with you?!” Terran asks.

“Why not? It’s free!” I answer.

The tunnel’s entrance collapses.

“There goes our way out! Now what?” I ask.

“We have to take the normal way out. Thankfully, I know that way. Let’s hurry and leave the gold behind!”

“Okay, okay!”

We hurry to the exit and into the golden city for my first and last glimpse of it as I watch it collapse. The golden buildings, streets, and statues fall as the ground beneath them crumbles. Debris from above seem to selectively fall on cars and people as if God were choosing to kill certain people with the debris. I see someone who is stuck in the ruins of a flying car. I move to help them only for a helicopter to crash into the car. Okay, I get the message, God!

Terran, I, and a few others manage to make it out the only entrance of the golden city as it falls down. When we and the people around us look into the crater, we can barely see the tall buildings that were seen from miles away. A lot of the buildings look like they’re still intact so maybe there are still people alive down there, but I don’t think we have anything here to get to them. The weight of the city collapsed the mines that were constantly being dug out and expanded. The Pious’ pride literally made them fall. If I would’ve kept the gold I got, then I would’ve fell with the city. Now I understand the true weight of sin.

 

The End