Bad Book Review 14 (The Guardian, Chapter 16) · 1:23am Jul 29th, 2019
(So, it turns out this chapter has a bit of controversial subject talked about. Just a heads up.)
And we continue our (less than) exciting expedition into the world of a murderous angel.
Last time, Cameron concluded that Gabriel was going to attack a prayer meeting, and Kirkland lost it, threatening a handcuffed man with a gun until the man said he didn't want to die.
Chapter 16 opens with Cameron calling Father Stephen, and finding out the prayer meeting is already going on. Cameron tells the father to get everyone out, and even if the windows are closed and doors locked, it would do no good.
The chapter then jumps back an hour, to when a seventeen year old Danielle Lyons and her mother Martha are getting the room ready. Danielle talks about how she does not really want to be there, and Martha talks about how important it is to spread the word of Jesus, and even suggest that Danielle becomes a missionary, which is an idea she is not really interested in. This goes on for a little longer.
Danielle then tells her mother that she has something to tell, which the mother is not going to like. She then reveals that she is pregnant.
Her mom pulls away and walks over to the cross.
Now we hit the somewhat controversial part.
Danielle says she is planning on getting an abortion. She gets no reaction at first, then Martha tells her how God is against killing babies, which is not how Danielle sees it. Martha then makes it about herself, by talking about the position it puts her in. Danielle talks about how it's her choice and how she's human, and Martha talks about how she can't condone her daughter's actions and how they have to answer to God.
When Danielle starts crying, Martha resumes setting up and tells Danielle to pull herself together as people start to arrive.
The scene changes back to the present as Father Stephen and two altar boys, one of which who has the keys, make their way to the room that the prayer meeting is taking place in. When the one with the keys tries to unlock and open the door, his hand gets burned as the knob is suddenly white-hot.
Inside, Gabriel is going around the ten people who are kneeling in prayer, touching shoulders and closing eyes. Statues around them are bleeding.
... for some reason, it cuts away from the scene without changing the scene. The sound of ten gunshots is heard. Father Stephen and the altar boys throw themselves at the door, but nothing happens at first. The doors then open suddenly, revealing the people dead on the floor.
The scene changes to Cameron arriving, telling Christina and Joseph to stay in the car. The police are also there, as is Reporter Lisa Jones from Chapter Thirteen (review 11). Lisa tries to ask him what happened, and he sees he has no time. As he stops to let the bodies be wheeled out, she informs him that it was a mass suicide with ten people and that there are burn marks.
So, with it having just happened, with the bodies just being removed (and how did the police and coroner -- who had to be called -- managed to get there before Cameron, who was already on his way), no witnesses, and the only testimony being from outside the door where the shots were heard, they already know it's a suicide?
BASED OFF OF WHAT?!
*Takes a breath*
Cameron looks in, sees the burns marks, and realize it was Gabriel and it was too late.
Right. Because seeing the bodies being wheeled out wasn't enough of a clue.
Cameron starts back to the car, sees that it's empty, and then runs toward it. The reporter calls after him, but when he disappears down the block, she goes back to the church.
And that's where the chapter ends for now.
We're actually getting close to the ending now.
Until next time.
Ink Hoof.
Maybe his logic was that the people inside could still be helped... all that blood... "There is still some home. Sure none of them are moving, but maybe they are just sleeping really still!"
Bodies are wheeled out with the white covering!
"Goddamn, if only I didn't get my hopes up."
This fell apart, and might be hard to understand, but maybe it didn't really catch on till he saw the bodies he already saw being wheeled out. Anyway, good chapter!
Binging the reviews (which I don't recommend; yeesh, this is horrible stiff you had to slog through.) I needed to comment on this:
Did you (or the author) mean a missionary? Very different things.
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Missionary. The show that was on when I was writing it happen to be talking about mercenary work. Since they were similar words my brain went with the one I was hearing than the one I intended.