Free Latter-Day of the Dead by Kevin Krohn

would you need to make sure I am okay?” I asked, trying to sound indifferent.
    “Oh…well, I don’t know.” Keturah put her head down, embarrassed. “What do you think about it?”
    “What do I think? I think if God says it’s so then it’s so.”
    “Yeah. I s’pose you’re right. Something seems off…maybe it hasn’t sunken in yet.”
    “You could give birth to our next prophet, what an incredible calling.” I wasn’t sure why I was offering up reassurances when I agreed that the arranged marriage didn’t sit right.
    “You’re right, Brother Elias. God is glorious and he continues to expose his plan for me,” she said, sounding like she was trying to persuade herself not me.
    “I’m really happy for you, Keturah,” I said warmly.
    If I had to describe that last statement I made to her in two words I would probably use: untrue and heartbreaking.
    After grabbing everything I would need from the medical station I made my way back to Benjamin’s house to deal with the body. My feet picked up the pace upon request, knowing I did not want to be working until sunrise.
    I casually hopped onto the front porch and into the house before freezing in my tracks. I hunched down and took a step backwards towards the door. My breath was held as I strained to listen for anything in the house.
    “Hello?” I called out in a way that didn’t necessarily want a response. “Rodell? Are in you in here?”
    The noiselessness of the house did not put me at ease. I remained deathly still until I had the courage to inch my way further in, and even then stopping every few steps to listen for any unwelcomed sounds.
    Once to my destination inside the house I said a little too loudly, “What the heck?”
    Bafflement lingered as I stared at the blood-stained floor where Brother Andy’s body used to be. My mind couldn’t register the current situation. Why would someone take the body? Where would they take it?
    After a longer look I could see the blood on the floor had smeared towards the back sliding door. The body must’ve been dragged back that way, but the odd thing was that the streaked red only went a short distance before turning to a sole set of crimson-stamped footprints across the dingy kitchen linoleum and out the back door. It was hard to imagine someone carrying the body out by themselves, not that it was impossible though. Not that anything was impossible at this point.
    I sat down on the unkempt couch that overlooked the bodiless floor. My body had given in to the attacking exhaustion. My inflamed eyes begged for eyelids to blanket them. Sinking further into the tattered sofa, I decided I could close my eyes for a short rest.
    ***
    “Brother Elias, what are you doing?”
    I could hear the words, but couldn’t nail down if it was being said in my dream or in the real world. I kept my eyes closed while I feigned trying to determine.
    “Wake up.” The words were joined by a firm shake of my shoulder.
    I convinced one eye to slide open just enough to see what the fuss was about. Upon seeing our prophet Verdell and two other men my other eye quickly joined and I sat upright. My head throbbed from moving too fast.
    “We didn’t see you at breakfast,” Verdell said dryly.
    “Breakfast?” I used my thumb and middle finger to rub both eyes in concert. The sun was shining heavily through both windows and the open doorway. “I must’ve fallen asleep. I’m sorry.”
    “Well,” Verdell began, walking over to the open floor, “at least you removed the body beforehand.”
    “Actually, I need to talk to you about that.” I stood up to fully wake myself, knowing this wouldn’t be fun. “When I came back last night the body was gone.”
    “What does that mean, the body was gone ?”
    “It just…wasn’t here.”
    “Well he sure as outer darkness didn’t get up and walk out himself!” Verdell shouted. It surprised me how quickly he became angered.
    He walked over to the window and stared out while the