Ruth Collins (thedevoted) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-01-31 23:15:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | #september 2017, sam |
Who: Ruth and Sam
When: Sunday, September 24th, Afternoon
Where: Word of the Redeemer Fellowship
Status: Complete
Just as Sam had predicted, the fog hadn’t really kept a lot of people away from church that morning. They had risked their lives to fill the seats, to listen to Mal preach the word of God. Sam knew they would. They were faithful and dedicated to the Fellowship and Sam knew no one else in town was worthy of that kind of devotion. As usual, Sam remained front and center for both services. Mal had plenty of people to help him, but she liked to think he needed her there to support him in an entirely different way, and despite hearing Mal preach for a little over three years, his words still filled her with hope and warmth, his voice comforting.
After the second service was over and people milled around to talk with one another, Sam sought out Ruth. Both girls were homeschooled, so Sam didn’t get to see her friend every day the way public school kids did. The fog was still thick, and they were still without proper power, but Sam didn’t really mind it. They could find somewhere to talk if they wanted to, and Sam and Mal’s apartment was located right above the church, so they wouldn’t have to go far.
Sam eventually found Ruth near the back of the church where she smiled in greeting. “Can you stay for a bit?” Ruth’s family might want her to do something else, but it never hurt to ask. “I can make us something hot to drink upstairs if you want.” Mal would be busy with the parishioners for a bit yet, so they wouldn’t be bothering him.
It was no surprise that the Collins family braved the fog to attend the morning service. They were one of the most devout families of the church; fog or other ill weather would not keep them from hearing Mal preach the Word. Many of the other followers appeared to think the same way.
This was the week Ruth offered her services as an usher as opposed to a chorister, so as soon as the service ended she made her way to the church entrance and diligently stood watch. Parishioners would be leaving soon and one of the responsibilities as an usher was to make sure everyone left in an orderly manner. There were rarely any issues and she honestly didn't need to keep watch but she did anyway. Mal had entrusted her with this job; she would do all the duties it entailed unless instructed otherwise.
She noticed Sam approaching and flashed her a bright smile. She was one of the few people Ruth could call a friend and was always delighted when she was able to see her. "I'd love to. I will need to ask my parents though." She didn't expect them to have a problem with it. The family had made no prior plans and her parents liked Sam. She was Mal's daughter, after all. "Let me finish with this and I will go find them."
About ten minutes later, enough people had dispersed that Ruth felt it was acceptable to leave her post. As promised, she immediately went to her parents and asked to stay with Sam. Of course they allowed it and Ruth hurriedly returned to her friend. "Sorry for making you wait. My parents said it was okay."
Sam didn't mind waiting, since she hadn't really been left waiting alone. Several people came by to say hello to her and Sam was dutiful in being polite and thanking them for coming, despite the weather. She watched Mal from time to time, still worried about what he had told her that morning, but she stubbornly refused to believe anything bad could truly happen to them. God would watch out for Mal and in turn, she knew Mal would watch out for her. When Ruth reappeared, Sam smiled again, relieved that the other girl could stay for a bit. "Do you want to go upstairs?" she asked. "We've got candles so it won't be too dark. Mal will probably stay down here for awhile and I don't want to be in the way." Sam began to lead Ruth toward the back of the church without really waiting for an answer. She expected the other girl to follow.
She opened her mouth to answer, but Sam was already walking away. She quickly followed after her without a word. The other girl assuming Ruth would agree to whatever she suggested wasn't an uncommon occurrence. It was because she usually did and, even if she didn't, she would likely go along with whatever Sam wanted anyway unless it countered anything Mal or Eli wanted. Ruth stayed close to her as they ascended the stairs to the church's upper level where Mal and Sam lived, the darkness and the narrow stairway surrounding them causing her anxiety to flare. At that moment, all she wanted was to be in a safe, open place with light.
Ruth never had to worry about Sam trying to persuade her into doing something that Mal might not approve of. In the three years Mal had been taking care of her, she knew exactly what he expected of her and Sam had been pretty good at resisting temptation to rebel. That didn't mean she was perfect, but nobody was perfect. Mal was forgiving, and he had taught Sam to forgive too. It was difficult, but she always came around when she was upset. Oblivious to Ruth's anxiety in the dark hallway - the power was still out so it was no use in trying the light switch - Sam pushed open the door to the upper apartment and hurried over to light a couple candles. The curtains were already pushed open, but the fog outside didn't do much to light the inside."Do you want something to drink? We have juice and water, or I can make some tea on the stove."
It only took Sam a few seconds to unlock the door and push it open, but to Ruth it seemed like an eternity. Every moment stuck in that dark hallway had her growing more and more distressed. As soon as her friend stepped into the apartment, Ruth was right behind her. She heaved a heavy sigh of relief and focused on calming herself down while Sam lit some candles. It was a good thing they were able to enter so quickly; if she had spent any more time in the hallway there was a good chance she might have started to panic and she didn't want to burden Sam with that. "Tea, please. If it isn't too much trouble," she replied. It was sure to help calm her nerves. Focusing on something other than her fear would as well. “How was your week?”
"It's no trouble. We have a gas stove," Sam explained. She walked into the small kitchen to fill the kettle she had washed earlier that morning. Sometimes she wished she and Mal lived in a nicer house in town, but the apartment was convenient and humble, so she never expressed the desire for a bigger home. She didn't want Mal to think she was ungrateful. She waited to answer Ruth's question until the water was turned off. Sam carefully lit the stove and then gave Ruth a small smile over her shoulder. "Not too crazy," she said. "Studies and reading, mostly. It was raining so much I couldn't even get outside for more than a few minutes at a time." With the kettle on the stove, Sam returned to Ruth and flopped down on the couch, expecting her friend to sit with her. "And now it's foggy and I really hate being stuck inside. What about you?" Ruth had siblings, so at least she had company. Not that Sam was unhappy with Mal's company. She loved him fiercely. But it wasn't quite the same as having someone close in age around when there was nothing to do.
Ruth watched Sam move around the kitchen from the living room, thankful that the apartment was small enough that she could still see her friend with the help of the candles. She was not so lucky at home. Her house was considerably bigger and there were several areas that failed to get proper lighting during the outage. Her younger brothers already took advantage of this and spooked both her and her older sister. The little rascals. "About the same," she replied, joining Sam on the couch. "Studying, reading, chores. Started work on a new cross-stitch." The usual indoor activities. "The rain was troublesome. We had to put tarp over the garden so the plants wouldn't get uprooted and it had the chickens all antsy. These past couple days of dry weather were a Godsend."
Sam wasn't much of a cross-stitcher. She liked to write and read mostly, and she was kind of thankful that she and Mal didn't have gardens and chickens to tend to. It seemed like a lot of work, and Mal already had enough on his plate with the congregation. She tried to do as much as she could to help him, and that usually included a lot of the indoor chores. That was more than enough for Sam. "I want some sun." Sam sighed. "Then we could go to the library or the park or something. Bad weather means I only ever see you at church stuff and like, living above the church means I don't get away from it much." Sam grinned a little. "Maybe you could sleep over one night?"
"Sun would be nice" Ruth agreed. "Hopefully we'll see it again soon." Doing outdoor chores was much more enjoyable when the sun was shining. It also allowed her to wander town and spend more time with what few friends she had. Not to mention it let her get away from her parents. They weren't as harsh with her since Mal took her and Eli under his wing, but they did still lash out if they believed her to be underfoot.
She perked up when Sam mentioned staying over sometime. "I'd love to! It would be a lot of fun." She'd never been invited to a sleepover before and the prospect was exciting. "Maybe this weekend?” She blushed a little, realizing she was getting ahead of herself. “Or is that too sudden? We could do it another time. Whenever is convenient for you."
Sam had grown used to Point Pleasant's weather, though she was not looking forward to the winter. Sam hated being cooped up inside and she hated being cold. That's why she wanted more sunshine, to enjoy the fall weather before the snow started. Ruth seemed more than agreeable to staying over and Sam felt herself perk up a bit. She had never had a sleepover either, mostly because she'd never had a close enough friend to ask, or to ask her. She had come to trust Ruth over the past year and she knew Mal approved. At least, she thought she did. Sam suddenly felt a little abashed that she had asked Ruth to sleep over without asking Mal first, but he so rarely denied her anything that he really didn't think he would mind. She would ask him later over lunch, once Ruth had gone. "I'll double check with Mal today but I don't think this weekend would be too sudden. We'll have fun. Your parents won't mind, will they? Mal can talk to them if you think it'll be a problem."
"Oh, I don't think Mal would need to talk to them." Before, perhaps, but not now. "I'm sure they would be okay with it as long as I do my chores before." Ruth was certain that if she asked to stay with anyone besides Sam she would be denied. Her parents didn't trust outsiders and actively warned their children to stay away from them, but they could trust Mal and his daughter. They were good, religious people. Individuals worth spending time with. The soft sound of the kettle beginning to whistle caught Ruth's attention and, acting on instinct, went to move it from the heated stove pad before the conscendoing sound could get too loud. She looked back at Sam with a sheepish smile, feeling slightly embarrassed that she just up and dealt with the kettle like that. "Um, would you like me to pour the tea? Since I'm already up."
Even if he didn't have to talk to Ruth's parents, Mal may want to. Sam wouldn't know until she asked him. That would come later, but the idea of having a sleepover with a friend was an exciting one. Hopefully Mal wouldn't mind. Sam watched Ruth jump up and get the kettle, her brows drawn together in surprise. Sam unfolded her legs from beneath to get up and help. "I can help," she said, walking over to the cabinets to get down two coffee mugs for them to pour the water into. "It would feel weird having you serve me in my own apartment," she added with a small giggle. "I would feel like... the worst hostess or whatever. Are you hungry? I can make some sandwiches or something."
A light blush crossed her cheeks and she lowered her head to hide it, chuckling some. She felt even more embarrassed, but she took it in stride, finding the amusement in the situation like Sam had. “That's not true at all. You're a great hostess,” she replied with a small smile. “Your guest is just a little weird. Running to tea kettles and all. Can't help that,” she added jokingly. “And I'd love a sandwich. When do you think Mal will be coming? Should we prepare something for him too?”
"You're so not weird," Sam said, smiling at Ruth before she dug around in the cabinet for the tea bags. "You're helpful. It's better than just sitting around and expecting to be waited on." Sam found it difficult to be that kind of guest. She had been doing things for herself since she was a kid and she still harbored a sense of 'if she didn't do it, it wouldn't get done'. Sam had been with Mal for a few years now but old habits were hard to shake. She found the tea bags and opened two to dump into the mugs. There was a faint bristling feeling inside, one that threatened the otherwise grateful thoughts Sam had about Ruth's helpfulness. Still, Sam smiled softly at Ruth’s question and shook her head. "He sometimes spends some time talking to people one on one after services. I'll make him something when he's finished downstairs." Ruth had said we, but Sam didn't want anyone taking care of Mal but her, even if it was something as simple as making a sandwich. "There's some deli meat in the fridge, and I have peanut butter and jelly too if you don't want ham or turkey."
“I'm a little weird,” she insisted playfully with a chuckle. Everyone was weird in their own way. Sometimes a good weird, sometimes bad. She liked to think of herself as a good kind of weird. “But I do try to be helpful despite that.” Once Sam finished preparing the tea bags, Ruth poured the water into the waiting mugs. She gave an understanding nod. “Okay, if you think it would be better to wait.” Perhaps he would make it back upstairs before she had to hurry home and they could make the sandwich then. “Ham and cheese would be great. Do you want me to grab the meat?” She smiled. “Then I'll let you make them, I promise.”
"If you're weird, then I'm weird. We can be weird together," Sam said. She let Ruth pour the hot water into the mugs, her lips twitching again. Sam had been taking care of Mal for a long time. She knew his routine and she didn't want anyone infringing upon it. "It's better to wait. I never know when he's going to be done downstairs, especially if he's needed by a lot of people. It could take awhile. With all the fog, people might stick around longer than usual anyway and he won't kick them out. You're helping with the tea so I can get the food." Sam pushed away from the counter to step toward the refrigerator. She made quick work of getting the deli meat and cheese slices out, since the power was still out and she didn't want to leave the door open too long. "How are things at home, though? Like with your brothers. How's Eli?"
"That's true." It made sense that Mal might be longer than usual - not that she really knew what the usual length of time was - due to the fog and power outage. Everyone had risked the drive to get there, some were sure to want to drag their heels on leaving. "Things at home are fine," she answered softly, eyes lowering to look at the tea bags floating idly in the mugs. Ruth wasn't fond of discussing home affairs. Thankfully, Sam moved on to ask about her brothers, Eli specifically. "Silas and Noah are doing well. Enjoying the dark more than I, that's for sure. Already startled me and Miriam once this morning." She laughed some, shaking her head a little at the memory. "And Eli is doing well." Her smile widened and eyes brightened as they did whenever she spoke about her brother. "I think he's scheduled to work tomorrow. I hope the fog clears up by then. I'd hate for him to be working out in that weather."
"The fog has to go away eventually, right?" Sam glanced outside. She couldn't see anything but the grayness and maybe the outline of a tree nearby. She hoped everyone driving home from church would be safe. It was a miracle as many showed up as they did that morning. "Hopefully if the weather is bad tomorrow, they'll let him stay home. I can't imagine going anywhere in this." Or having to work. Sure, she worked for Mal and the church, but that felt so much different than working for someone else, having someone else telling her what to do, and how to do it. Maybe someday it would happen, but right now her place was this church. "It's tough knowing I can't go anywhere either. Like... eventually we'll get cabin fever or something, you know?"
“I would think so. It always has before.” Fog wasn't an uncommon occurrence in Point Pleasant considering its proximity to the water though this bout was a bit different from the times before. There was something decidedly off about it, but Ruth couldn't quite put her finger on exactly what it was. “I hope so. I mean, it would be ridiculous to expect him to work in this, right?” She wanted confirmation that, yes, it would be asking too much to make Eli work in these conditions. That it was a ridiculous notion to make him risk his safety to do simple maintenance work. She wanted to be assured that she wasn't being horrible and selfish for wanting him to skip work and stay home.
Ruth nodded in agreement. “I can imagine.” She didn't have as much risk of encountering cabin fever as Sam. As long as she returned when she was instructed her parents didn't particularly care where she was even during weather like this. She was certain Mal didn't allow for such irresponsible behavior; he actually cared about her safety. She gave her a small smile. “Let's pray the fog doesn't last long enough for that to happen though.”
Mal was as protective of Sam as she was of him, and she knew he wouldn’t feel comfortable with Sam disappearing into the fog, even if, logically, nothing terrible was likely to happen. But he’d had that ominous feeling all morning and even if Sam started feeling restless and wanting to get out for a bit, she wouldn’t. He’d asked her to stay near, so she would. “It’ll clear up soon,” Sam said with confidence and a shrug. “I mean, it can’t hang around forever.” She placed the sandwiches on plates and set them down on the small kitchen table where she and Mal had breakfast earlier. Sam motioned for Ruth to sit. “Have you ever had anything weird happen to you here? In Point Pleasant?” The question slipped past her lips before she could really give it a lot of thought, but it was probably better that way. Sam probably wouldn’t have said anything if she’d had time to consider it.
At Sam's motion, Ruth made her way to the table with mugs in hand, setting them down next to both plates before taking a seat opposite her friend. She blew over the brown liquid, then took a sip after determining it was cool enough to drink. Her head tilted to the side curiously when Sam posed her question. “Weird? How do you mean?”
"Oh, I don't know. Just like... strange. Unexplainable?" Sam shrugged. "Like, I've heard some stories when I've been in town from people, but they all seem sort of like... myths or whatever. I've been here for a year now, and some weird stuff happens, like this fog not going away, but... I don't know. I don't have a lot of friends in town, so it's hard to ask questions without people thinking I'm weird."
“Oh. Weird.” Ruth gaze dropped to her tea. She didn't often talk about the strange happenings that occurred. Point Pleasant had an evil surrounding it, always had, and to dwell on it would only encourage it to linger. Godly thoughts were what kept it away. And if evil found its way to your door despite this? Well, then, you weren't devout enough. At least, that was what her parents said. So admitting that unexplained things had happened to her – and they definitely had – would be admitting to not truly devoting herself fully to God.
“There is an evil here,” she finally said as she picked up the end of her tea bag, lifting it out of the mug and resting it on the side of her plate. “But we don't talk much about it. Giving it attention just gives it strength.” She put the mug to her lips. “It is... hard, though, not to think about it.”
That sort of sounded like something Mal would say, and Sam was silent as she sipped her tea that was still a bit too hot on her tongue. When she set the cup back down, Sam picked at the crust of her bread. "That's probably true, but... I don't know that ignoring it does anyone any good either. Like, it just festers even if we pretend it doesn't." She wasn't going to tell Ruth about Mal and what he had been feeling that morning, but it certainly made Sam more acutely aware of what was going on around them, and what could happen. "If we don't give it attention, how do we make it go away?"
"That's a good question." One that Ruth asked herself on occasion but never dared voice. That was questioning her parents and nothing good ever came from that. She placed her mug back onto the table and moved her fingers over the handle idly as she gazed into the tea. "My parents believe being devout will turn it away...." Her voice trailed off. There was something she wanted to say, it was evident by her expression, but she fell silent. She was reluctant to finish her thought. Finally, after a long moment of hesitation, she continued in a low voice, "But... sometimes I wonder if that is really enough. If there isn't more we could do. More that God would want us to do."
Sam licked her lips and picked a bit more at her sandwich before clutching her hands together and dropping them into her lap. "I think... being devout helps when faced with something evil. But I don't think devotion alone can make it go away. I think that's why He works through people, like Mal. I think we have to... actively use our faith. I think if we pretend it's not there, it just gets stronger. I feel that way in this place. I have for a long time. Bad things keep happening to people, but it doesn't seem like anyone is trying to make it stop. Everyone ignores it. Doesn't that ever scare you?"
“It does,” she quietly admitted. There was so much about the evil that plagued the town that scared her. It seemed to never go away no matter how many prayers were said or deeply held beliefs were instilled. Sam was right; devotion alone wasn't making it go away. Ruth had always suspected that but never actually heard it voiced until now. Hearing it aloud made the thought more tangible and harder to simply push away. “But I don't know what to do to help turn it away. I don't think any of us really do, maybe that’s why we just ignored it. Why so many simply accept it.”
"Mal will help turn it away," Sam said with confidence. "I think he'll know what to do, when the time comes. He won't just accept it, not when it could hurt people. He'll change people's minds, make them see what they need to believe, and what they need to do. I've seen it happen before, where we used to live. He'll do it here too." Sam felt like that's why they were called there, to Point Pleasant. God spoke to Mal and guided him. This entire town was in need of saving, even people like Ruth and her family. "But I guess I just want you to be safe. If you've never like, experienced something scary here yourself, I hope that you don't."
Sam's confidence in Mal's capability to finally rid the town of whatever evil afflicted it was reassuring. There was never any doubt in her mind that he couldn't turn the evil away, that God guided him, but she worried. Worried about him, about Eli, about Sam. Worried that something would happen to them before Mal could accomplish the task bestowed on him. The Lord was all-powerful, but the devil was a cunning beast. Ruth managed a small smile. “I want you to be safe as well. I want both of you to be safe. And I pray you never experience anything like we all here have.”
Sam could have said that she and Mal had been lucky so far not to have experienced anything terrible, but, it was so much more than luck. They were protected and she prayed it stayed that way. She released a slow breath and then smiled at Ruth. "I'm sorry for bringing up such a depressing topic. Let's talk about something else and just... try to have some fun before you have to go home. And if you're allowed to sleepover this weekend, we'll have tons more to do because hopefully the power will be back on." Maybe they could even go to one of those movies at the theater in town. That could be fun. It certainly gave her something to look forward to.
“That’s okay,” Ruth assured with a smile of her own. While she wasn’t outwardly expressing it, she was glad the conversation was moving away from the topic of the town’s strangeness. Thinking too much about it made her nervous. Her face brightened at the mention of the sleepover. Oh, she was so excited! “I can’t wait. It will be so much fun!” She cleared her throat some, adding. “If I get approval, of course.” Which she would. Hopefully.
"Oh." Sam waved her hand dismissively. "You'll totally get approval. If your parents are unsure about it, I'll just have Mal talk to them." Mal could be persuasive, and she didn't think any of his followers would say no to him, especially over something so small like a sleepover. "It'll be fine. I guess we just have to get through the week first. But we'll have fun, even if the weather stays gross." Which hopefully it wouldn't. Sam didn't want to be stuck inside all week. She knew she would probably end up driving Mal crazy from being antsy about it. But... she could worry about it later. Right now she just wanted to hang out with a friend and pretend like everything was normal for once. That wasn't too much to ask.