My Nihilism Got Me Laid?!

"Uh... so is this a bug collecting religious group or..."

"I... dont know, I've never heard of ants in the gospel."

The burly man drives the shovel into the ground and begins scooping up dirt.

The dirt erupts with thousands of red fire ants as he shovels his way through the colony's tunnel system.

A second burly cloaked man comes over and aids in digging.

After about 10 minutes, the men scoop out a 6 foot rectangle into the ground, making it six feet deep.

"Did you guys hide a time capsule and use the fire ants as a way to protect it... or?"

Asher shrugs as she begins to walk away. "I'm going to the bathroom, if the Reverend asks... say I'm praying."

"Hmm.... K."

At first I was a little bored with this, but my curiosity has been piqued.

"Genesis 3:19: By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The Reverend preaches.

Once they start speaking sermon, I begin to walk away, yet my attention is dragged back as they wheel over a... person?

He's wearing the same vibrant red cloak that I am. But they don't seem to be moving... I guess they're doing a funeral?

I scoff, even more confused now. Guess the fire ants are a way to speed up the decomposing process and truly return to nature?

But they aggressively toss the man's body into the hole. His head hits the walls as it slides down.

They have the hands and feet bonded, maybe they're afraid he's going to turn into a zombie. I would call it childish, but I've seen World War Z, so I can understand their fear.

I thought desecrating a corpse was against the Geneva Convention... but I guess not.

The body lies at the bottom of the 6 feet hole, its almost immediately engulfed in a sea of red fire ants as they scour the body. The ants fill enter every crevasse and hole of the man.

Its a little odd but-

The corpse's eyes suddenly spring open

*GASP!*

"wha- Where am I? who are you guys?! AHHHH!"

EH?!

before the man can continue speaking the swarm of fire ants tunnel into his mouth and nose.

He begins screaming out as he squirms against the restraints.

I lean over to the cloaked man beside me. "Uh... I think he's still alive."

He turns to me with a kind smile. "Of course he is, even in death we live."

"No, I mean he's not dead."

"Moving on is difficult; all we can do is consul their loved ones and pray for their safe arrival."

The mans screaming is suddenly muffled as the two burly man begin to scoop dirt onto his face.

He continues futility, squirming as the fire ants begin to bite and sting his eyeballs. The dirt shifts as he attempts to free his mouth. But the ants have made their way down his esophagus and down his lungs.

His violent, instinctive coughing caused by the ants forces him to now choke on the dirt being shoveled on top of him.

A stain on his pants emerges as the man pees himself. The sheer panic is written as a novel in his eye movements, every bit of pain conveyed through his blood shot eyes.

"He-P!"

His body was being eaten and carved out from the inside out, yet he faced the troubles of being buried alive with his attention divided he struggles to defeat either of the threats consuming him.

The two men continue shoveling dirt into the grave, his muffled pleas are suffocated in the soil.

Without leaving as much as a stick cross, the group walks away from the buried man the moment the spectacle is over.

With a carefree stretch and a yawn, Asher comes walking over.

"So, what did I miss?"

"It- i- I was right, it wa- was just a time capsule."

She won't be able to remain as calm as me, nor would she believe me without proof. In order to do that, I would have to dig him up, revealing my disturbance in the spectacle, making us a target.

I just have to remain calm and protect her; the objective is absolute, everything else, obsolete.

The group of cloaked figures now wear some creepy mask as they put on their hoods.

The atmosphere has changed, it no longer feels like some religious retreat and more like a cult gathering.

"C'mon, let's go to the next event, I want to get it over with." ( ⩌_⩌) Asher sighs.

I grab her arm. "Well... I don't think you should."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"I just mean... uh... I know! how about we go pray? or uh... what do religious people do?"

"Why are you acting so weird?"

"Do you know what they do here?"

"Not really, Its like I said, this is my first time at one of these things."

"Did they give you any warnings or requirements?"

"No? ...Why are you acting so strange?"

"Well- no reason, but if you don't want to be here, how about we just leave?"

"What? It's not like I'm staying here volunteers; but if I want to keep my position in the church, I gotta do some boring stuff every once in a while. Like I said, there's nothing keeping you here."

With a sigh, I realize unless I kidnap her, the only way I'll get her to leave is for her to see what's really going on.

"Alright fine, I'll stay; just promise me that you won't volunteer or do anything that makes you stick out."

"What? Now you sound like the parent."

"Promise me." I command.

"Alright, fine. Weirdo."

"What do you promise?"

She congeals her face as she leans away from me. "I promise not to stand out or volunteer."

With an exhale, I nod. "Thank you."

We make our way up the wooden bleachers as they overlook a stage.

Before us is a large bronze lamb statue.

The fat reverend whispers something to two of the... cult members before strutting out on stage and throwing his hands out.

"We have differentiated ourselves from the heard, we are the new age of believers. Our strength, our devotion, allows us to show our true faith. While others stumble and stop, we continue on, no matter what. We are the new generation of sheep.

"Now, if I could get two volunteers from our new members to join us up front, any volunteers who would like to show their devotion to our lord?"

Asher smirks, bumping my shoulder as though nudging me to go up there.

I would rather die than raise my hand.

After turning to her with my normal tired stare, I manage to get the point across.

The awkward and expecting silence is finally interrupted by the couple from earlier raising their hands.

"We will do it Reverend."

The chubby man chuckles with a warm smile.

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear it; your reward will be in heaven."

As the couple holds hands, they walk down the stage. The herd of black and white cloaked figures applauds; their eyes tracking the couple's every step.

Any possible thoughts of backing out have been silenced by their nauseating clapping, their expecting eyes, and the confusion that envelops the area.

Standing up on the stage, the Reverend gives his warm close eyed smile; the couple awkwardly stands there as the crowd continues to clap for them.

Two more cloaked figures walk out onto the stage, one wheels in a wooden staircase, while the other lifts the latch on the lamp, opening it as it opens like a barbeque grill.

The couple look at the statue with confusion and uncertainty.

"Um... Reverend... I-"

"Theres no need to be nervous, while it may appear uncertain, it is as uncertain as our future, but after this, you shall be reborn, you will become one of our herd."

He coerces the two towards the wooden staircase and into the hollow bronze statue.

"Just lie back and let god hold you as you take this next step."

Within the statue, the couple lie side by side, the bronze walls of the lamp cramp them in as they barley manage to squish in.

The cloaked figures begin to lower the hatch.

"Wait, I don't wan-"

The wife's eyes dart around, and the husband attempts squeezes her hand with a comforting smile.

The two halves of the lamb are latched into place.

This whole thing is a little strange, bunch of weirdos cosplaying as a lamb?

Leaning over to Asher, I whisper. "Hey, so what's the deal with the lamb, are they gonna bathe them in holy wat..e...r...."

Asher's eyes violently shake as she onlooks the stage, her breath hastening as she begins to hyperventilate.

Just looking at her is making me panic. "What? What's wrong?"

"that- no, no-"

"Asher now you're freaking me out."

"Brazen... bull..."