[THE END OF THE BEGINNING.]

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[. . .]

[THE CHURCH IS FULL TO BURSTING, MASK-CLAD FIGURES STANDING SILENTLY. THE ONLY ONE UNMASKED IS THE PRIEST, STANDING BEHIND THE ALTAR, EYES DARK AND REVERENT. A RED-HEADED MAN IN A SMILING MASK, A GREAT SILVER AXE SLUNG OVER HIS SHOULDER, STANDS ON ONE SIDE OF THE PRIEST. ON THE OTHER STANDS SILAS, HIS MASK THAT OF AN ELK SKULL. LOOMING OVER HIM, WHERE JESUS ON THE CROSS ONCE HUNG, IS AN UNNATURALLY LARGE ELK SKULL, ITS EYE SOCKETS FULL OF BLAZING ORANGE FLAMES, A TWIN TO SILAS'S MASK, AND PROBABLY ITS INSPIRATION. ON THE ALTAR ITSELF SITS A SMALL LEATHER BOOK AND A BOWL FULL OF DARK, OIL-LIKE WATER.] 

[KNEELING BEFORE THE ALTAR, FORCED TO THEIR KNEES BY THE CULT MEMBERS, ARE AUGUST AND HER FATHER. AUGUST SHAKES WITH FEAR, AND HER FATHER IS MURMURING UNDER HIS BREATH. PRAYERS? A CALL FOR HELP? IT DOES NOT MATTER; NO ONE BUT THE GREAT HORNED GOD CAN HEAR HIM NOW.]

["Let us begin," SILAS SAYS.]

[THERE IS A STIR IN THE CROWD. A FIGURE IN A HARE'S MASK ATTEMPTS TO VIOLENTLY SHOVE HER WAY TO THE FRONT, THROWING PEOPLE INTO THEIR NEIGHBORS, CAUSING AS MUCH CHAOS AND DISCORD AS SHE POSSIBLY CAN. PAYTON. THE MAN IN THE SMILING MASK GLANCES AT SILAS, AND SILAS NODS. HE MOVES DOWN INTO THE AISLE AND GRABS PAYTON ROUGHLY BY THE ARM. SHE TRIES TO FIGHT HIM, BUT HE IS MUCH, MUCH STRONGER THAN HER.]

 ["Henny, now! Do it now!" PAYTON YELLS TO YOU.]

[YOU AND HENNY TRY, YOU REALLY DO, AND YOU TAKE DOWN AN IMPRESSIVE NUMBER OF CULTISTS AS YOU ATTEMPT TO GRAB AUGUST AND RUN, BUT THERE ARE SIMPLY TOO MANY, AND YOU ARE WRESTLED TO THE GROUND.]

["Now, now," THE MAN SING-SONGS, "quite a naughty little rabbit, aren't you Payton? But we knew that you and your little Forgotten Dawn pest were coming." HE GRIPS THE AXE HIGH ON THE HANDLE, CLOSE TO THE BLADE, AND PRESSES THE SHARP EDGE AGAINST PAYTON'S COLLARBONE. SLOWLY, HE DRAWS IT ACROSS HER SKIN, DRAWING BLOOD. PAYTON TRIES NOT TO SCREAM IN PAIN.]

["...How?" PAYTON GRINDS OUT.]

["Let's just say that radio host has quite a strange agenda. I'm almost convinced he's insane."]

["...What? Why would he do that?"]

[YOU AREN'T SURE WHAT TO THINK. HENNY IS QUIVERING WITH RAGE. HIS THOUGHTS ARE A MAELSTROM OF BETRAYAL AND CONFUSION AND REALIZATION. YOU TRIED YOUR BEST, BUT THERE WAS ONLY ONE WAY THIS WAS EVER GOING TO END. THINGS WERE CHANGED BY YOUR MEDDLING, BUT THE OUTCOME WAS INEVITABLE.]

[THE SMILING MAN SHRUGS. "It doesn't matter now, does it?" HE FORCES PAYTON ONTO HER KNEES, FACING THE DIAS. TWO OTHER MASKED FIGURES COME FORWARD TO HOLD HER IN PLACE, AND THE SMILING MAN SAUNTERS TOWARDS AUGUST AND STEVEN.]

["Let us rejoice," THE PRIEST BEGINS, "as we welcome a new sister into our ranks."]

["Rejoice!" THE FIGURES ANSWER.]

[THE PRIEST GESTURES TO THE SMILING MAN, AND HE RAISES HIS AXE. IN ONE FELL SWOOP, HE DECAPITATES STEVEN. PAYTON SHOUTS, AND AUGUST FLINCHES AS HOT BLOOD HITS HER. TEARS STREAK HER FACE. HENNY SNARLS LIKE A WILD ANIMAL, TAIL LASHING USELESSLY.]

["A sacrifice has been made."]

["Long reign the Horned God."]

[THE SMILING MAN GRABS AUGUST BY THE ARM AND BRINGS HER TO THE PRIEST. HE STANDS HER BEHIND THE BOWL OF LIQUID, A HAND ON THE BACK OF HER NECK.]

["You should be grateful. You are about to be cured. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"]

["I don't want this." AUGUST HISSES. "I don't want to hurt people! 'Cause that's what you do, hurt people. You'll hurt my friends."] 

[YOU REALIZE AUGUST IS TALKING ABOUT YOU, THE ONES BEHIND THE SCREEN.]

[AUGUST'S HEAD IS FORCED INTO THE DARK WATER, AND PAYTON YELLS. YOU AND HENNY STRUGGLE AGAINST YOUR CAPTORS. BUT IT'S TOO LATE. YOU WERE ALWAYS JUST A LITTLE TOO LATE. YOU COULDN'T HELP IT. IT WAS NEVER YOUR FAULT.]

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[. . .]

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[SIGNAL LOST.]