"Dear Lord, thank you for giving me the strength to rise again this morning. Please watch over me at all times. Please bless me and this troubled child with your guidance, wisdom, and grace. In Lesus name I pray. Amen," Cindy whispered, clasping her hands in prayer while kneeling on her bedside.
"Um, are we done yet?" Jon asked, also kneeling next to Cindy. "What the hell is up with you and your sudden love for god, anyway? Kinda creepy..."
"Shut up. What'd I tell you about curse words, young man?" Cindy said, standing up. "It's time for church, so hurry up and get dressed!"
"Ugh, do I really have to go? This is so lame!" Jon complained. "Hell is a curse word now?"
"It's where you'll be going, if you're not saved by The Lord, kiddo," Cindy said sweetly, with a smile. "Now hurry up and put on the goddamn suit I bought you! We're gonna be late!"
After another close encounter with death, barely surviving Aria's onslaught, Cindy had discovered a newfound appreciation for religion and god. It must have been a miracle that she made it out alive, the half-elf thought. It was a sign that her prayers were answered, when she knelt down on that dirt road, helplessly calling out to god. Likewise, it was about time she returned the favor, three days after her brush with death. So she decided to go to church on a sunny Sunday morning, dragging Jon along with her.
Cindy and Jon met up with her friend Elie, outside of "The Holy Church of Krist," in Downtown Baldimore. The half-elf was also upholding her promise to attend church with her dear friend, so she decided to visit Elie's place of worship, which happened to be one of the largest church's in all of Baldimore. The fancy white building was enormous, towering over the city. Its range was wide, and Cindy often saw the place from a distance when walking throughout the city. It was a very busy morning, as civilians came storming inside the church, hoping to secure a seat.
The minister of the church, better known as 'Pastor Price,' was extremely popular and revered throughout the country. His words carried weight and his influence reached wide, almost as much as the great Pope of Roma himself.
"Cindy, I'm so glad you could make it! Is this your little boy you've been telling me so much about? You're a little cutie, aren't you?" Elie greeted Cindy and Jon, giving Cindy a warm hug and patting Jon on the head.
"Morning, Elie! Thanks again for inviting us. I'm really excited about this; to finally have my faith restored feels amazing," Cindy said. "Oh yeah, this is Jon. What'd I tell you about manners, kid? You gonna stay quiet, or greet the lovely lady?" she continued, pestering Jon.
"H-hi. I'm Jon..."
"Teehee. A shy boy, I see. Don't worry, you can make plenty of friends here during kid's Sunday school!" Elie suggested.
"I-I see..." the boy muttered.
"Oh, they have a children's section too? That's perfect!" Cindy said.
"Oh yeah, the kids all love it! I'm sure he'll have fun there. If you want, we can drop him off before we go and see Pastor Price speak."
"That sounds great, right, Jon... right?!"
"M... Mhm," the boy nodded.
"Great, let's head inside now! We don't wanna be late and miss grabbing a seat! I really don't feel like standing again. My back is killing me today!" Elie complained.
Cindy, Jon, and Elie made their way inside the large church, dropping Jon off at children's Sunday school, before making their way to the main church hall. The inside of the worship hall was vast, able to fit thousands of people. The decor was colorful and vibrant, with many paintings in golden frames hanging from the walls. The two young women managed to find some empty seats, stationed on a far back row, as crowds of people were still pouring in by the droves. After a few more minutes, the pastor arrived at the stage. He greeted his followers and began his exhilarating sermon. Cindy perked up instantly as the pastor started to speak, her focus razor sharp as she anticipated the man's holy words.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Mother, I've finally done it! I've found God, mother! I knew I should've listened to you when you made me go to church all those times. I'm so sorry, mother! You were right; God is so incredible! I'm finally a good Kristian girl again!
"God lives in all of us! He does not care about your race, nor the color of your skin! All men are judged equally in the eyes of The Lord! God himself cannot be imagined through the mere paintings of man! His figure is shrouded in mystery, and we cannot be so arrogant as to comprehend what he may look like! He's no elf, no ogre, nor human!" the pastor preached.
"Amen!" the crowd shouted, clapping their hands.
Pastor Price was an elven man, draped in white robes, as he gave a heartfelt sermon to the large crowd. The crowd listened intently as he preached on, many moved to tears by his strong words. Cindy herself eventually broke down in tears, overwhelmed by the pastor's powerful message.
After the speech, came festivities; music was performed by relatively famous Kristian singers and bands. Cindy and Elie sang along with the crowd, enthralled by the holy tunes. Finally, coming to an end of a morning full of worship, the pastor addressed the crowd one last time.
"I understand we receive new visitors every Sunday. I would like to give a special chance to an individual this morning. Who would like to come up to the stage and renew their faith as a member of this church? Rise again as a newfound Kristian right now!" Pastor Price spoke to the crowd.
Almost half the crowd raised their hands, begging to be chosen by the kind pastor. Cindy also had both her hands raised, waving them in the air, hoping to be noticed by him. The pastor scanned the room vigorously, searching for someone to choose. His eyes landed on the half-elf as he began to speak again.
"You, in the black dress!" the pastor said, pointing at Cindy. "Please come on up!"
No way, no way, no way!
"M-me?" Cindy questioned, pointing at herself.
"Yes, you! A half-elf, I presume?" the pastor asked.
"You go girl!" Elie screamed. "Go on, get up there!" she continued, giving the half-elf a nudge.
Cindy rushed up to the stage, anxious and sweaty, as the people cheered her on. Her balance was shaky, stumbling on her way there. She managed to make it on stage eventually, nervously greeting the revered Pastor, and hoping not blunder when speaking to him.
"My dear, what is your name?" Pastor Price asked.
"M-m-my name is Cindy, and I-I-I'm so glad to be here! Y-your sermon was amazing, Pastor Price."
"Oh, Cindy, what a marvelous name! Why thank you, my dear!" the pastor said jovially. "So, miss Cindy, what brings you to the Holy Church on this fine Sunday morning?"
"W-Well, I've recently found God once again, so I wanted to find a home of worship as soon as I could! My dear friend, Elie, invited me to come here, and I'm sooo happy I did! The people here are amazing! You're all so kind and inclusive here! I-it's so much different here in Baldimore than my hometown!"
"That's amazing, miss Cindy! Might I add, you were so brave to come up on stage, being as nervous as you are! On behalf of this entire church, I'm so sorry you had to endure such prejudice in your hometown! I'm assuming the people of Baldimore have shown you a new perspective! There's no place for racism in this world!" the pastor claimed.
"Yes, they've shown me so much! Ever since I moved here, I've been shown nothing but kindness! It's been amazing! M-my mother used to bring me to church when I was little. I hated it, if I'm being honest!" Cindy said, the crowd giggling at her remarks. "But now, I see how amazing God truly is. I only wish I could've appreciated God more when my Mother was alive."
"Awww," the crowd cried.
"Pastor, I have sinned! I'm not proud of myself. I had to steal and scam to survive for a long time. But, I've changed now. I'm not that type of person anymore! I want to accept Lesus Krist as my lord and savior!" Cindy screamed with all her heart. "I've suffered so much in my life, trying my best to do things on my own. My mother died, my father left me, and my grandparents abandoned me because..." Cindy paused, beginning to cry. "Because I was a good for nothing half-elf! I didn't know where to turn, and I thought I'd never be accepted anywhere! I was such a fool to never reach out to God before. But, after I almost lost my life recently, I became a changed woman! My prayers were answered and I was saved! God exists and he is merciful! I realize that now. So, even if I'm just a no good half-elf... please let me join your house of worship! I-I wanna be baptized again and swear my oath to Lesus Krist once more!!!"
"Yeah!!!" the crowd cheered, praising Cindy for her braveness.
"Miss Cindy, that was such an incredible and inspiring speech that you just gave yourself. Heck, you'd even make for an amazing pastor!" Pastor Price said. "You should feel proud for being such a brave, resilient soul! God accepts you! We accept you as a member of this congregation!" Pastor Price announced, as the crowd continued to go wild.
"Cindy! Cindy! Cindy!" the crowd chanted.
"T-thank you so much, Pastor Price!" Cindy said, crying profusely with snot hanging down her nose. "I've finally found my true home!"
