⸻ devil’s night had stolen so much from them ; & within the once comforting walls of their first home . eric’s full strength still lies out of reach , restrains him from standing tall & sturdy for his fiancé . that bloody evening , he hadn’t been fast enough — hadn’t been strong enough to rescue her from senseless brutality . he grows tired of awaiting his healing . to still walk independently is a miracle in & of itself . peeking inside , there’s a shred of hope shimmering inside that perhaps the universe will lend another forgiving hand .
yet when the stranger ( quite the fitting title ) lays hand upon him , sensation strikes something embedded within his subconscious, drawing his breath short & sharp . just as in his dreams ( visions of another life ? too visceral to be mere dreams ) , eric is awash by an engulfing wave … from this man’s touch , however , it steeps him in a cold , clammy mist . eric takes a couple swaying steps away — mystified — though not by any glimpse of god .
❝ that … that may be true , sir , but i’ll have to decline . ❞ a polite , wary nod . ❝ uh , with all due respect — i prefer to leave my fate up to myself . ❞
oh, the path of a nonbeliever. it’s okay, atticus understands why eric warily steps away from him. the power that could be felt from his fingertips was assuredly stifling. the preacher would force nothing upon the other man, for god has given the choice of free will, and only hoped that his people would choose him and his faith. a little convincing, however, never hurt anyone, did it? so with a gleam in his eye, he clasped his hands in front of him, staring at eric with a charming and vast smile. he’s a gentleman, the epitome of southern hospitality. to some, it would be unsettling. to the majority, who are often blind to evilness, they find it endearing.
‘ i understand. i know what yer thinkin’ — what’s th’catch? i can’t just be givin’ out miracles left and right and expect nothin’ in return! ’ a chiming laugh escapes atticus. ‘ well, i am. god’s given me a gift, mister draven, and all i wanna do is share that gift with anyone who’s willin’ t’listen. that’s all, ’ head tilts slightly as he looks at eric, slyly glancing over his weak form. with mara’s voice in his head ( she sees all and knows all ), atticus gains an image of what happened to him, why he was so bruised and broken, and he tsks, shakes his head. ‘ people, well — they can be cruel... devil’s night, wasn’t it? if it’s as bad as it sounds... ’ the preacher whistles. ‘ i can’t even imagine what you’ve been through. too much, that much i know. but god... he knows, an’ he’s willin’ to help you heal... if you’ll let ‘im, ’