Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Val sat in the shadow of an old mighty hackberry tree. She waited patiently for her dearest fellow, Marta, to come. Watching sunset was stripping her of anxieties well tied with the chief deacon’s duties. The job was exhausting and boring, her faith was slowly dying with every worship she was forced to attend. This isn’t god, she thought, god doesn’t crave slaughter of the innocent. As the time passes, Val lies on the ground, feeling every vibration of the soil underneath her. Strong smell of copper hit her nose, as she rose up to her feet, feeling heavy footsteps behind her. Turning her head, a lanky figure approached her and sat next to her, pale skin glowing in the bright moonlight. Marta returned from the slaughterhouse late, her hair soaked with the smell of blood, crimson red stains stuck behind her fingernails.

,,Sorry if I kept you waiting Val, we had to kill bunch of cows because..y'know..Papa said so.’’
,,Papa said so’’ repeated Val, staring into the ground, anger rising within her ,,Because Papa said so’’ Val took a deep breath, tears falling on her cheeks. Marta saw Val crying, leaning to hug her dearest friend. To her surprise, Val pushed her off. ,,Val….you okay?’’ she asked, not exactly sure how to deal with great emotions ,,Because Papa FUCKING SAID SO-’’ Val screamed at the top of her lungs, unable to hold it in anymore. Old pals glared at each other. The valley got quiet, only locusts chirping in the distance. When Val spoke again, her voice was trembling.

,,Well Marta, you see, I’m trying to tell You again and again, Knoth is nothing but a murderer and his God is lie, he’s feeding You lies for years but you’re still so blind. Listen to me please, remember, when He said ‘’Oh children, Your greatest sins will haunt You in your dreams’’ but my dreams are nothing but murder of my beloved children. Marta, I'm not the only one who had these dreams. Why don't you listen to me?’’ Marta stared at her with a scowl ,,My dear, I think you drank way too much wine today, what a nonsense you’re babbling about. Just look at yourself, not paying attention to the Bible but proudly talking about Papa’s ‘’sins’’. You are a fool, Val. Keeping your mouth shut would be the best you could do for the wellbeing of our village. I'm leaving.'' Marta turned around to let her stubborn friend come to her senses again.

,,You’re not going anywhere cunt’’ Val grabbed a pebble and hit Marta in the back of the head with it. Dear lord, it did upset Marta greatly. Firm slap on Val's cheek and war began, two friends jumped after their throats. Val spat Marta in the face, Marta’s fist found her place in the bridge of Val’s nose. Blood flowed onto Val’s chin. Two rivals writhing in dirt and sand of the Arizona desert. Val grabbed a handful of gravel and threw it in Marta’s face. Marta roared as she was blind now, swinging her fists frantically around her.
Val was smart. She took the opportunity and ran for Temple Gate, stumbled in the rocky terrain, ran into trees and bushes, but she didn't care.

She needed to tell Josiah.

Chapter Text

Val woke up sore with an agonizing headache. Her cheeks were still wet from crying, slept for nearly an hour. She lies on her bed, too weak to move, stares at the ceiling while the time slowly passes. Her hands still smelled of blood, although Val scrubbed them with brush and soap, until they were red and aching. Val turned her head, grabbing her glasses off the nightstand and got out of the bed. Val wobbled to the other side of the room, had to hold tightly to the worktable, as she would surely collapse. On the worktable sat a bottle of red wine. Val tilted said bottle to her lips. Empty. Blonde groaned, the loss of her beloved children pained her heart.

She drank like a fish for a few days already, wanting to forget everything. Val’s mind was a mess, a little walk in such late hours could maybe soothe unpleasant thoughts. That would be nice. Chief deacon stumbled around the fields, at one point tripped and fell into Mojave prickly pear. She cursed under her breath as the pulled spikes out of her knees and palms, blood running down her limbs. Val left the fields behind her. She knew where to go now. Lips formed into sincere smile, cheeks blushing as she knocked on Marta’s bedroom window.

Marta’s sleep was always light. She woke up with a twitch and stared at the bedroom window. Val’s injured palms left bloody stains on the glass. Marta rushed to the window and opened it, almost hitting Val in the forehead with it. ,,For the love of God, what is it now?’’ Marta said angrily, then she noticed blood on her friend’s hands and her tone changed. ,,Oh dear what happened?’’ she whispered, gently grabbing Val's wrists. ,,I..uh..fell into cactus on the way here.’’ Marta let her wrists and left the room ,,Wait here please’’ She returned with bandages and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Meanwhile, Val climbed inside through the window and sat on Marta’s bed. She hissed when Marta cleaned her wounds and covered them in clean cloth. She was grateful. She really liked Marta, and wondered how she felt about what happened between them on New years Eve. Marta never talked about it and Val hoped she didn’t fucked up their friendship.

,,Why did you come?’’ her tone made Val nervous ,,Oh come on, we haven't talked to each other since january, why are you avoiding me?’’ Marta looked away in shame, not wanting to answer. She was so confused with her feelings towards Val. Papa always said, the only right way is men loving women, anything else is a disgusting sin. But Val is neither man nor woman Papa said, so was she an exception? Val put her hands on Marta’s shoulders, leaned closer and kissed her cheek. The two stared at each other in silence. Marta gathered all her courage and kissed Val’s lips, but panicked and pulled away. Val smirked and returned the kiss, waiting months for this moment. The two were making out rather quietly, until Val moved to kissing Marta’s throat. Marta gasped in surprise but didn’t pull away. It was too good. Marta tilted her head out of the way and laid her eyes on Papa’s portrait above her bed.

Marta froze, but Val didn’t notice. She kept on kissing her neck, lips brushing against places that would feel amazing if Marta’s mind wasn’t elsewhere. Val’s hands crept under Marta’s nightgown, stroking her thighs dangerously close to her bare groin, while her lips lowered down to her collarbone. ,,Val please stop’’ Marta whispered ,,Let’s just go to sleep okay?’’ ,,If you wish my Love’’ Val giggled, alcohol still in her blood. She lied down and fell asleep once her head hit the pillow. Marta turned away from Val, distancing herself. She felt terrible now. She had sinned right before Papa’s eyes.

Marta prayed before heading to the kitchen and falling asleep on the couch.

Chapter Text

Val woke up in an empty bed. She was confused, not remembering anything from the previous night. She did feel better as alcohol finally left her body. She got out of bed and left the room. Val walked into the kitchen, where Marta sat on the couch, eating baked corn. ,,Uh.. hey Marta, What am I doing here?’’ Marta was quiet for a while, then she looked at her and said ,, Get out.’’ angrily. Val felt tears falling down her face as the main door slammed shut behind her. Something bad happened and she forgot about it.

On the way home, she tried to think, to remember what led to this but nothing came to mind. She glanced at blood soaked bandages on her knees. Val remembered the pain, but it was a hazy memory. This wasn't a dream.

-
Days passed since the incident, Marta didn't talk to her at all, and Val was alone again.
She felt more alone than when her children passed. Val neglected her duties as chief deacon, forcing Knoth to use Marta instead whenever he needed something. Val did encounter some strange dreams too. In the dreams, she heard her children scream and cry. She tried to follow the sound, but it was coming from inside her head, as if she was screaming and crying herself.

Another dream, she was slitting the throat of a little girl. Val cut through her artery, blood squirting on her face, sweet on her tongue. Val woke up, still feeling the taste. She was shaking with adrenaline but felt calm, almost happy despite the nature of the dream. Days went by as Val’s dreams increased in brutality. She enjoyed them, it made her feel loved, wanted. It made her impatiently wait for the next one every day.

''4th June''
Val wrote fast, she experienced something else than dream, it was a prophecy, maybe.
Nothing strange happened during the day. She hasn't told anybody yet. Yet, he chose her to spread the truth. She picked it up pretty quickly, this was real God, not something Knoth could ever make up himself. As she slept, He spoke up to her. She did not see him, but felt his presence. Blood started to rain, forming a deep lake as He said ,,You …. take matters into your own hands…. find other believers…..flee the blood soaked land….He is coming soon…..’’ Val was gasping for air, drowning in the blood of Knoth’s sheep while He spoke. Then he disappeared.

Val woke up to the early sunset. She never felt anything this pleasurable. Val reached onto the nightstand for her diary and began to write. It was a short entry, nearly impossible for her to describe in words. Val got out of bed, only to feel something warm drip down her inner thigh. ,,Sweet Jesus’’

She went for a walk, to clear her head and clean her body. She bathed in the lake behind the town. Many people avoided this place, believing it was cursed with sickness of the Scalled. Val came back close to noon. Some people were probably looking for her, standing before her house and knocking on the door. When they heard the footsteps, they turned around and seemed relieved. Val did not know them. except for one, it was Josiah.

,,Val, we really need to talk to you.’’

Chapter Text

It's been weeks since Papa exiled the very first ones with ‘’sickness of the soul’’ from the village. But he was somehow merciful and let them stay in the forest behind the town. He called them ‘Scalled’. Some of them left kids behind. Nobody wanted to take them in, fearing the disease would spread to them too. Val took them under her wing, she was alone again and could use some company. It went well at first. Only four kids to take care of. As days went by, sickness was spreading. More kids each day were placed under her care. Some of the children accepted her, some still cried for their families, refusing to be near her. Val didn't blame them, it was confusing for her as well.

It was late January, when a young man stopped by. He introduced himself. ,,I'm Josh Tremblay. My father got send away this morning and I was told to find you.’’ ,,Oh dear, did Nick got sent away?’’ Val did not know him much, he was really shy and almost never talked about himself. She didn’t know he had a son. ,,Yeah but Papa said it’s nothing serious, him and Laird are supposed to take care of the Scalled.’’ ,,They’re going to get sick too.’’ ,,Papa prayed for them.’’

-

Val woke up early in the morning. This was her life from now on. But she didn’t mind it, she loved the children dearly and was willing to sacrifice herself. She walked into the kitchen and made a simple breakfast. Then she groomed herself and brushed her teeth. Some villagers didn’t care about hygiene but Val wasn’t one of them.

Noon now, kids are playing outside and Val is making lunch. Josh is helping her as usual. He's a good kid, turning seventeen in April. ,,Please tell kids lunch is ready.’’
Twenty small children ran inside, smudged with dirt and mud. Val almost fainted when she saw them. ,,Sweet Jesus what happened’’ Two older girls took the kids outside to clean them off. Helping Val wasn't an issue for them.

The smaller kids are put to sleep after lunch. Val would usually sing them to sleep, but not today.
,,Lisa, please check on them once in a while, I need to take care of something’’ Lisa nodded though she was not thrilled.

Val found Josh in city square, talking to Marta. There was awkward silence once they saw her. ,,I should go’’ Marta said and hurried off

,,Hey Josh I was looking for you, can we talk?’’
,,I think so?’’
,,Can we talk about your father?
,,What do you want to know?’’ Josh asked, irritated.
,,No, not like that.’’
,,Then what do you want?’’
,,I’m worried about him. Is he really living with the Scalled? He’s gonna get sick too and die and no prayer can change that’’
Josh was quiet, thinking
,,We need to get him out of there somehow’’
,,How? Papa’s too proud to admit he’s wrong’’
,,Pride is a sin and he should know it.’’
Josh sighed ,, So Knoth sent my father to his death and knows it.’’