Yesterdays Gone: SEASON TWO (THE POST-APOCALYPTIC SERIAL THRILLER) (Yesterday's Gone)

more intently in recent days. Perhaps The Prophet had seen the same things Will had seen in his dream, and wanted to act before events unfolded as they would. Will’s hairs were on end as he searched for The Prophet. Fortunately, the mystery was cleared before the funeral started.  
    Brothers Rei and John approached the congregation with The Sanctuary’s new visitor one step behind. The visitor and John stayed at the back, as Brother Rei walked to the front and glanced at the hole in the ground, then turned his attention to the congregation. The corners of his mouth were heavy, dipping toward his almost nonexistent chin. He cleared his throat and said, “Before we get started, I must inform you, as deeply saddened as I am to do so, that The Prophet has taken ill, and is on bed rest for the day. He shall be well again soon, but I regret that I must step in and administer today’s ceremony.”  
    Brother Rei lowered his head, then clutched the Bible to his chest with one hand while raising the other to the sky. He held his pose for more than a minute, then raised his head and moved his eyes across the congregation. Will wondered if any of the people standing with hands folded and eyes on Brother Rei wanted him to get the hell on with it, or whether they were happy to stand in the stinging cold while he milked the moment of every drop. Brother Rei might be third in charge, but he may as well have been second, the way he enjoyed the spotlight. John was more of a silent partner in the church, while Brother Rei desperately wanted to be as charismatic as The Prophet was.
    “We are gathered here together to celebrate a young life ascended to Heaven. Brother Scott was taken from our flock too early, yes, but we have no reason to mourn. For Brother Scott was called Home and ushered through the Gates; Brother Scott now has what we are all waiting here to get. Our Good Brother Scott most certainly received his Heavenly reward for his hard work, ridding this world of Demons, which is what he was in the thick of doing when he was called home by the Good Lord Himself.”
    That was all Brother Rei managed before Luca fled the funeral, crying.  
    Will was suddenly grateful that Luca was only a boy inside the shell of a man, giving him the perfect excuse to run off and leave. And since a boy shouldn't be wandering through a Demon-infested forest alone, Will would be happy to do the Good Lord’s work and look after him.
    Will followed Luca back to his Quiet Spot, where he sat with his head in his chest, buried beneath gangly arms, looking every bit of eight as he did sixteen.  
    “You okay?”  
    Luca looked up, nodded at Will, then buried his head back where it belonged.  
    “What are you thinking in that head of yours? You don’t mind telling me, right? You can trust me. Remember, I’m the man with the lobster tacos. I flew you all the way across the country. And plus,” Will smiled. “I’ve known you since you were only eight!”  
    Will wasn’t sure if the joke about his age would upset Luca further, and was relieved when the boy broke into a little laugh. Will took Luca’s laughter as permission to sit. “You know,” he said, “I’m sad, too.”
    Luca looked up. “You are? ”  
    “Of course. Scott was my friend. And these days, friends are scarce.”
    “I was mean to him,” Luca said. “The last time we talked, I mean. It makes me feel like maybe I had something to do with him not ever coming back.”
    “You know that’s ridiculous, right?”
    Luca nodded, but fresh tears fell from his eyes anyway. “I heard Scott call me a freak. But he didn’t say it. He thought it. And I heard him. And he knew I heard him, and was even more freaked out. So I ran away, and when I did, I was kind of wishing I’d never saved him. I know it sounds silly, but I feel like if I hadn’t thought that, maybe he wouldn’t have died yesterday,” Luca cried, loud enough for Will to scoot closer and shush him.  
    “Not sure it’s best to draw attention to ourselves right now with talk of hearing thoughts,” Will said in a whisper, even though there was no one around them. He took off his jacket and handed it to Luca. “Cry into this, okay.” It was freezing outside, but Will would rather be freezing than heard, and The Sanctuary felt like it was growing ears.  
    “Don’t be silly,” Will whispered. “You had nothing to do with Scott dying. Nothing. It happened, and you have to be okay with it. It wasn’t