"Tha' stars are so pretty tonight. Heh... can't ya see 'em?

"Twinklin' little lights in tha' sky, tha' audience to my rebirth.

"I awoke with blood on my clothes. Dirt in my hair. Worms in my beard. Pushed myself outta tha' abyss 'n' into tha' light once more. Don't worry if ya can't see tha' same light yet... ya will soon enough.

"Heheheheh... y'all thought ya seen tha' last 'a tha' James boys? Y'all thought ya could get rid 'a us so easily? Y'all could turn tha' page and just like that, tha' nightmare was ovah? Ya could escape judgment with hearts 'n' minds intact? Ya could breathe easy?

"Y'all are dumbah than I thought. Should know by now: Eli James tha' Fourth 'n' his Congregation ain't eva' gone. Not really. Sure, they slip undah tha' radah here 'n' there, allow yer new false idols tha' chance ta captivate ya. Ta stake their claims as gods 'n' heroes. But sure as tha' sun rises, sooner or later we always come back. With tha' light to drive out tha' forces 'a darkness.

"It's all about balance, aftah all. Ya can't have tha' light without tha' darkness and ya can't have darkness without tha' light. But... when it comes down ta it: light against dark? Well boy... tha' light always wins. Shhh, maybe I shouldn't have said that. See, hearin' that sets off tha' boys takin' up arms for tha' darkness, confrontin' tha' fact that at tha' end of tha' day... they nevah had a chance.

"They can kick 'n' scream about it all they want but it's tha' truth. Clear as day. This ain't me tryin' ta convert any of y'all darkspawn... y'all don't deserve conversion. Ya made yer choice. Time ta' live with it.

"Mark it down, boys. June Eighth, Twenty-Sixteen. Tha' date the James boys come shine a light on ya.

"Y'all can run all ya want. Y'all can stand 'n' fight. Puff yer chests out like the grown men y'all playin' as. Tha' waves 'a truth will drown y'all the same.

"Heheh... see ya soon."

---

The mute, ginger giant thrashed and flailed in vain, trying to free himself from the stake he was fasted to. Eli stood to my right, a solemn smile on his face as he watched the display. He'd told me once, years ago, when I had fallen from grace in the eyes of him and the Almighty that trapped coyotes bite off the trapped limb. Sure, they bleed to death afterwards anyway. I think the message was, if given the chance, we all want to die on our own terms. I shot another glance at the man who was Jebidiah James, eyes wide with fear and anger, the pain of Eli's "betrayal" plastered across his face like he didn't betray the Almighty himself, and I couldn't help but think that all his flailing and thrashing was for the same purpose. He didn't want this; who would? If I had to guess I'd say he thought that if he struggled enough someone would just shoot him.

Nah. Eli was specific. This is how it had to be.

He'd said a prayer a few moments ago. Even when facing his own mortality the oaf strapped to the stake bowed his head when Eli spoke, still grumbled "Amen" as well as his nonfunctioning larynx could, sounding more like the pained wail of a dying coyote than anything resembling human.

The smell of gasoline hung heavy in the air as I struck a match and placed it against the matchbook. I dropped the handful of fire down at the end of the gasoline trail and took a step back, placing a hand on Eli's shoulder as I watched the trail ignite. The world seemed to move in slow motion as the fire inched ever closer to the bound giant.

He roared as the fire met his feet, trailing upwards, swallowing his gas-soaked clothes. Then he fell silent as the stench of burning, blistering skin overtook the odor of gasoline.

Eli cracked a smile and turned to me.

"Look up. The stars are so pretty, ain't they Jeb?"

"Yeah... they are."