Free Blood Cult by Edwin Page

rising and dusting himself
off as we filed in behind him.
    A line of five school buses rested to the left, a dark flatbed truck
beside them in the far corner with a grey dust sheet covering whatever was
stowed on the rear. On the far side were a couple more school buses and a tour
bus.
    ‘The keys must be in here,’ I stated, moving to the office on the right,
thankful to find the door unlocked.
    I stepped in, the counters running along the sides littered with
paperwork. The air smelt of stale smoke and I noted ashtrays brimming with
butts amidst the clutter. A couple of chairs rested on the brown carpet, which
was stained and threadbare.
    I moved to a small cabinet on the wall by a window that looked out to the
interior of the depot. Pulling open the door, I found four lines of keys
hanging inside with the bay numbers marked above and smiled to myself.
    My gaze settled on the keys to bay six. A strong feeling arose within and
knew its source. The Lord was whispering to me. He was telling me to take the
truck, though I had no idea why.
    I glanced out of the grimy window at the flatbed resting in the corner. I
could feel God’s presence, could feel his guidance in my gut. I knew it was the
right choice.
    I glanced upwards and nodded at the nicotine stained ceiling tiles before
turning to the three teens. ‘Each of you take a school bus back to the church.’
    ‘What about my Chevy?’ asked Wade.
    I turned to the cabinet and took out the keys for bay seven, opposite the
doors to the depot. ‘You’ll have to leave it behind, but you get to be the one
who smashes our way out of here,’ I replied, tossing the keys over to him.
    Wade frowned. ‘But I fucking love that car.’
    ‘We could come back for it later,’ suggested Shane.
    I took the sets of keys for bays four and five and threw them over to
Shane and David in turn before taking the keys to six from the cabinet. ‘Let’s
get going.’
    I led them out of the office and walked across the concrete towards the
flatbed, staring at the dust street and a sense of excitement building as I
thought about what may lay under its concealment. I walked alongside the cab
and passed along the vehicle’s length, my fingers tingling with anticipation as
I fought the urge to take hold of the cover and pull it back, wanting to savour
the moment a little longer before revealing what bounty the Lord had provided.
    Reaching the tailgate, I stood beside it and looked back along the bed.
There were box-like shapes beneath the cover at either end and from the way the
sheet dipped between, there seemed to be nothing on the centre.
    ‘Ain’t you gonna to pull it off?’ asked Shane.
    I turned to find the youths all gathered by the cab as they waited to see
what was hidden beneath the cover. I stared at them a moment and then took hold
of the corner. I grasped it firmly, stomach churning and mouth running dry. I
felt certain that what lay beneath would confirm that my actions were blessed
by God, that I was acting upon His Will.
    ‘This is a gift from God,’ I stated before yanking the cover back.
    The far end slid from large black speakers and a generator positioned
behind the cab. There were a couple of banks of disco lights on top and a
microphone on a shortened stand before them. It caught on the cover, teetering
and then toppling to the bed.
    I continued to tug, hand over hand, pulling the cover away until it
finally fell from the rear, revealing a matching set of speakers and lights,
along with a another generator behind. I stared at the items on the bed in
confusion, noting that the speakers and generators were bolted to the bed to keep
them securely in place.
    Shane climbed onto the back and looked around. ‘It must be the beginnings
of a parade float for the Fourth of July,’ he commented, turning to stare down
at me.
    I remained silent, unable to comprehend God’s plan. I had no idea what
the significance of the float was, but knew His hand had guided me to it, that
it