BURDEN OF AN ANCIENT OATH by Joshua Brown (early reader books TXT) 📕

every door leading into the kitchen. There were five of us in all, none wielding a weapon, all ready to die for our cause.

“If you’d be so kind, Gwen Sullivan, please do lower your weapon,” her eyes scanned me from head to toe. Realizing that even if she managed to fire off and get even a few of us down, she’d not make it through the night, she holstered her pistol.

“Who are you, and what the hell are you doing in here?’ Gwen demanded, pulling herself as close to the counter as possible.

“I am the Witchfinder General,” I said. “And you’ve been a naughty girl. You’ve not heeded my warnings nor listened to my pleas of reason, and for it, you will suffer.”

“I see how it is,” she said, snickering to herself. Her stance almost instantly shifting from scared back to the bravery she displayed with the gun in her hands. “You’re the piece of shit going after Spencer Williamson.”

I shook my head. “I’m fulfilling an ancient duty to instill order and balance to the world. God has spoken, Gwen Sullivan, and he has given me my obligation. I must rid the world of the vile, the heathens, the scum, and I will stop at nothing to honor his order.”

“You’re killing innocent people because you’re twisted,” Gwen said, her hand reached for her weapon again. My acolytes approached her, steadily. She wouldn’t clear leather before they grabbed her, and thus, her hand only hovered around the gun.

“You may believe whatever you wish,” I raised a hand, and all four of them stopped. “But you cannot prevent the inevitable. We will allow God to judge those who have sinned, as I will someday stand before him.”

“They’re normal people with families and lives. You’re trying to—”

“And who upholds this normalcy of which you speak? You don’t know what happens behind closed doors, just as I don’t know what would happen if there were no protectors. My order is ancient, Gwen, and it will continue on for eternity, preventing the shadows from rising up and taking control. You’re just too blind to see it,” I cut her off.

I couldn’t blame her ignorance. She was blind to it all and how the world worked in mysterious ways. I’d gone through the training to see the darkness. People like Jane Dench and Spencer Williamson were disgusting by nature. They were spawned from sin, from evil, and if we let them survive, the world would wither away.

I didn’t expect her to understand, not in a single evening, but that’s not why I ventured to her home.

“You know, one would think you’d be more careful of making sure your home was sealed tight before leaving in the mornings,” I said, leaning against a low-hanging kitchen cabinet. “It’s never good to be home alone.”

“Are you actually trying to threaten me?” she scoffed.

“No, not at all,” I smiled, though I knew she couldn’t see it. “Not yet, anyway.”

“Then get on with it. I don’t have time for this nonsense,” she spat.

“Such a feisty one. You might’ve done well as a witch hunter yourself, Gwen Sullivan,” I sighed. “I’m only going to say this once. You and detective Mercer are going to cease your investigation into the Order of the Phoenix. You’ve caught your man, Oscar Carlisle, and that’s the end of it. If this continues any further, the Order will be forced to take… severe measures.”

Gwen stayed silent, eyeing the four men that surrounded her. I walked over to her, lifting the base of the shattered wine glass

“You are only let free this night so that you may further my message onto those closest to you. Do you understand?”

Gwen nodded her head.

“Good,” I replied, running one edge of the glass against her cheek, not hard enough to cut. “There is no need for us to fight, Gwen Sullivan. I do not wish to stand against you or those you care for. I’m merely a vessel with the goals of accomplishing my mission. And in years to come, so will my son and his children to follow. Good shall prevail.”

Without another word, my acolytes began heading for the front door. I followed close behind.

~

What the hell just happened? The thought ran through my head once the five men left my house. I knew we were dealing with at least one crazy when we picked up Oscar, but I was stunned to see these men in my place.

The second they were gone, I drew in a long breath, knowing how lucky I was to survive.

Grabbing my phone, I called Jack.

“Gwen, what’s up? I’m about to head into the interrogation room with Oscar,” he said.

“They were just in my house,” I said.

“What? Who?” Jack shouted.

“Some guy calling himself the Witchfinder General, making more threats. They got into my house, Jack,” I could hear the panic in my own voice. It made me uncomfortable.

I dropped to my ass, my breathing grew heavy.

“I’m on my way,” Jack said.

“No, they’re gone. Coming over will just be a waste of your time,” I replied, knowing it was true. They weren’t going to come back tonight, and Jack had his own thing to take care of with Oscar.

“What did they want from you?” he asked.

I explained what happened, from start to finish. By the end of the explanation, I was already back on my feet, picking up pieces of the broken wine glass and wiping a cloth over the spilled wine.

“So, they’re still throwing threats out then? I guess we can only hope that Oscar is going to have something we can go on then,” Jack replied. “You’ve still got a key to my place, right? Why don’t you come over for the night? It’ll be like the good old days.”

The thought brought a smile to my face. I did have